I'm Not Weak
by LuigiWife1551
Summary: Infinite realized the child he'd been fighting for so long ended up being his saving grace. How would he feel about his new life, now that the Phantom Ruby was no longer a part of him? Luckily, he has someone to show him the ropes. No pairings, just lots of fluffy friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! I'm back with another story, this time featuring my OC from Forces. Please enjoy, and refer to author's notes at the end for more explanation.**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

 **I'm Not Weak**

The first time he came around, Infinite knew he should've been dead.

He slumped against a wall as the factory's alarm blared in his pounding head. Blood covered and weak, Infinite tried to stand to his feet, but his shaking legs simply would not let him. He yelped in agony as he found himself trying to stop his warm life force from oozing out of the gaping hole where the Phantom Ruby had been forcibly implanted by that madman.

It was all his fault... all his fault... but then again, he agreed to it, to the experiment, to everything... so wasn't he just as much to blame as Eggman?

Infinite felt his head resting against the cold metal wall. The alarm was slowing drowning out, sounding more like white noise than anything. His breathing was harsh, pained, almost wheezing to his ears. His squeezed his eyes shut and curled his tail about his shivering body as much as he could manage. With all the blood he lost, he assumed he was going into shock.

He was about to die... just like that.

Just as the world began to tilt sideways, Infinite noticed a pair of grey shoes making their way towards him. He smiled weakly and allowed the darkness to swallow him up whole. Whoever that was, well, perhaps they would show some mercy, end him the way he deserved to be ended... if he was even worth it anymore.

* * *

The second time he came around, Infinite can't say what really happened. He felt sick to his stomach, and he wished he could stop... moving? Wait, was he moving? Why would he be moving? He wasn't standing, he hadn't been standing!

He didn't see much. Just occasional lights rapidly moving as his vision wavered in and out, in and out. He could barely make out the face saving him, barely make out anything. The something carrying him-or someone... whatever... it felt warm. Soft. Like flesh, almost.

How was he being carried? He wasn't exactly heavy, but his race was known for their thick hair and fur and that couldn't have been easy and... what the hell he was thinking about? None of this made sense!

 _Whywhywhywhywhy?_ All that raced through his lethargic mind was the one word that described how confused he felt inside.

 _Why..?!_

Did... someone want to save him? Was he actually... no. No, there's...

Before he could linger on it any further, he blacked out altogether once more.

* * *

The third time, Infinite wasn't moving, thank goodness, but his pain intensified.

He was alive, if he wanted to call it that. He was breathing, although it hurt to take a breath. He was laying flat on his back, looking up at something. It wasn't bright, just dull enough to see without wanting to cringe. Thank goodness, because his head was spinning and he was sure he was going to throw up if he had to deal with bright lights.

His ears somehow picked up a strange sound. Someone was breathing next to him, and had a grip on his arm. It didn't feel tight, just holding it as something- he could only assume bandages- was being wrapped around it.

Infinite didn't want to move- it felt nice not feeling... well, much of anything. He hurt, but it was bearable. He closed his eyes to try and alleviate the pain throbbing heavily in his head, wanting to ask so many questions, but not sure where to start.

One thought that occurred to him as he quietly lay there- was he supposed to be happy? That he wouldn't... die alone...

His teammates were gone, murdered and he wasn't there to save them. He didn't avenge them. He failed... he failed them, he failed himself, his father hated him and his mother... they were gone, anyways. No one was left... there was nothing left to live for...

So why did this person fight to save his life? He... who was he?

Opening his eyes proved to be a harder effort than he thought. He was covered with something- something... like a jacket? The material felt like one... and it had fur lining in it, providing extra warmth he didn't want to lose.

His eyes flickered to the left. A young grey wolf, wearing a red, white and black T-shirt and grey shoes was sitting next to him, bandaging his arm. He seemed to be reaching into something out of his view of vision. Infinite wondered who he was for a moment; he knew that face from somewhere...

Then it hit him, hard. That same child whose family he cut down cruelly in front of him. That child who tried to fight him and was so terrified he fled, tail between his legs as Infinite laughed, blood covering his hands.

That same child... who defeated him alongside that damn blue hedgehog, but had given him such a pitiful look as he was pulled back into Eggman's factory and lab. He felt pity for him. He was only here because he was pitying him!

"...die..." Infinite breathed softly. He cursed his weakened state, his inability to form proper words. The grey wolf glanced up at him, confused. He paused mid way at what he was doing.

"L-Le...Let me die..." Infinite was mumbling now, sounding incoherent. A hand pressed against his forehead, presumably checking for fever. Infinite grew frustrated. Why was doing this?! Why was he CARING about him?!

Here he was, weak as a kitten, vulnerable, and he would not end the world's nightmare! He was saving him!

"LET ME DIE!" he finally screamed with all the strength he had left in him. It startled the grey wolf kid, and just as he had the energy to scare him, he became spent. His mind floated back to the warmth of the jacket that he now knew belonged to someone who should not have spared him, let alone come back for him! He craved it for some reason... why?

"...please... please..." he whimpered quietly. Infinite's eyes closed, and he felt dampness on his cheeks. Tears... was he crying? No... no, that couldn't be...

He was mumbling nonsense now, and yet... that grey wolf wasn't listening! Why wasn't he listening?!

A warm palm rested over his eyes, and a second one wiped his cheek. He was giving him permission to sleep... did he deserve that? Sleep meant no pain and he was far from worthy of that... he deserved... worse. He deserved to die, but... he didn't want to.

Infinite's body realized what the wolf was trying to tell him and he allowed it. Sinking into the warmth of a jacket that filled him with a very unusual sense of peace, he blacked out, praying to whoever would hear him that he would stop feeling... anything.

This just wasn't right. Why was he still being kept alive?

* * *

Finally, Infinite realized he was given a second chance.

When he awoke, his head felt a bit clearer. Not by much, but clear enough he could think straight.

He noticed that he could see stars outside, but when he blinked, he noticed a small reflection of a lightbulb. It was a window... so that meant... he was free. He wasn't there at that nightmare lab anymore.

The room felt cold, but he was buried under two blankets, so he felt... comfortable? Safe? A bit of both, perhaps.

He was propped against something soft, he noticed. Pillows, he assumed. He hadn't slept with pillows in... a very long time, if he were honest. He'd forgotten how comfortable they were.

As his vision cleared, he took more in. The room he was in was plain- just a bed, two chairs, a desk with nothing on it, and the window. The stars were beautiful, he mused to himself as he sank more into the pillows. He wanted to sleep some more, but his body decided he needed to face the world and the damage he made.

To his left, the door opened. The same child from before walked in, a soft smile on his face. Infinite just stared, lost.

Why was he smiling at him? Was he plotting some sick way to finish him off?

He felt his heart beating faster and faster, almost bursting out of his chest, and his shut his eyes tight, waiting for the final blow. But nothing happened.

Risking everything, Infinite slowly opened his eyes. The light blue hues of the child stared at him, his expression one of worry and confusion. Infinite glanced down at his arms, and saw the right one was wrapped in fresh white bandages, as was his torso. He could breathe much better, something else he failed to notice when he first came to.

Now it was Infinite's turn to be confused. "H-How long... was I out?" he asked, his voice raspy from lack of use.

The child walked over to his desk and Infinite heard light clicking before he watched the child return with a small phone in hand. He typed something quickly, then held the screen up to him.

 ** _'Just over two weeks. You had a nasty fever because of your chest, and you needed a serious blood transfusion. You broke the fever the day before.'_**

Infinite's eyes flickered up to the child, who had set the phone down, and was checking his fever. Two weeks...? How?! How had he gotten out? How did the child even know where he was? Why did he save him, especially after what he had done to him... to everyone?

Palm pressed to his forehead, he was close to his face- close enough that Infinite could smell his breath. It was... weird. Embarrassing. His face slowly blushed red and his eyes looked anywhere but him.

"I-I'm fine..." he mumbled. "I'm fine..."

The wolf child ignored him and stayed there a bit longer, almost muzzle to muzzle with Infinite, before he nodded in satisfaction and backed away at last, stepping over to the desk to grab something. The jackal let out a deep breath and sank back against those soft pillows. That... that was just uncomfortable. He wasn't used to others worrying about his health.

He felt a dip in the bed as the wolf child sat next to him, phone and a few medical items in arms.

For the next few minutes, as Infinite got his bandages changed, he found himself looking at the child, wondering how he could stand to be around him, how he got him out and the Resistance didn't kill him off, and more importantly, why he felt the need to save him.

"Child... why did you do this?" Infinite found his mouth moved faster than his brain. Said child stopped working and looked at him, tilting his head a little. Infinite looked back at the window, needing something to distract him from the eyes of the only one who knew he was alive.

"You could have ended me... killed me back there. So what made you come back... to save what's left of me..." He looked back at the wolf, who had not said a word but looked thoughtful. He grabbed the phone nearby and began rapidly typing. It occurred to Infinite that not once had the child actually spoken, not since he'd found him, nothing. Why was he constantly typing on that thing?

After about five minutes, the child held up the phone. Infinite's eyes skimmed over the words.

 _ **'I know you have a lot of questions. I can answer them, but after you have recovered some more. But... everyone deserves a second chance. I didn't tell the Resistance about this. They don't know you're alive... yet. They do not know where I am, or where this place is, either. So don't worry-no one will try and end you.'**_

Infinite's eyes widened at the second chance he was given, and stared with disbelief at the wolf. The child was just looking at him, probably giving him a bit of time to process what he was telling him.

As the words sunk into his brain, the jackal grew angry. He was only saved for pity? So others could see the broken, weak state he was in? So he could deal with the stares of fear, the nasty words that would be aimed at him for everything he did? This wasn't what he wanted!

"No... no, you... you should have killed me! You..." Infinite forgot about his injuries as his anger grew, aiming it at the one person who was with him. The wolf child wasn't fazed. He just looked at him, then began typing on the phone once more.

 _ **'If you believe I'm saving you because of pity or because I feel sorry for you... well, you would be partially correct. But the other reason... is because that mask, that entity... that was the Phantom Ruby. That was not you. I believe that.'**_

The child placed his hand on the trembling claw and squeezed lightly, offering what comfort he could. Infinite was truly conflicted, and was struggling to breathe. Keeping his hand on his, the child tapped his shoulder, catching his attention. He motioned breathing in and out by taking in a deep breath in and letting it out. Infinite couldn't do it. He felt dizzy and light-headed as his body screamed for oxygen.

A few moments passed. Infinite noticed he was staring at the ceiling again, and his chest didn't hurt past the stinging sensation of his wound. He slowly turned his head. Sitting on a chair next to him, still resting a hand over his, was the same wolf child.

It wasn't a dream. He was real... this was all real.

 _ **'Are you alright? You passed out for a moment, from hyperventilating. Were you having a panic attack?'**_

Infinite couldn't answer. He didn't know he'd fainted, or was hyperventilating... whatever that meant. The child smiled knowingly and finally released his hand. He typed something and then showed the jackal.

 _ **'I'm guessing you don't know either. But that's okay. You aren't exactly fully healed, so you should get some more rest. When you are ready, we will talk.'**_

Infinite wasn't sure if talking was a good idea. But he was conflicted, and no matter how many questions he asked himself, it came back to nothing. Nothing made sense anymore.

Perhaps this was the way to healing, he mused to himself as the child settled back in the chair. Apparently he planned on staying in the room, with him, for awhile. Infinite was beginning to... like the company. That was strange, but he wasn't complaining.

As he formed questions to ask the child when he was stronger, there was one question he needed to know and know now. "Child... why do you text like that? You never... once spoke, not even when we fought. Why is that...?"

The wolf looked at him, biting his lip as he thought, then looked down and started texting. He looked worried as he did, and Infinite felt worry begin to knaw at his gut. What was wrong? Did he say something wrong after this child just saved his ass?

Finally, the child held up his phone. _**'... you... slit my throat when we fought the first time. Before I was found by the Resistance. I should have died... but Tails saved my life... at the cost of my voice... I'm a mute, to put it simply.'**_

Infinite could've heard a pin drop at the dead silence that befell the room. The child shrugged and began typing again.

 _ **'I'm not going to kill you. Honestly... I became stronger over time because I wasn't whining about everything. I'd always been like that... a coward... but that's another story for another time. I'm not mad at you, Infinite. I learned to let it go.'**_

Infinite opened his mouth to say- or yell, rather- when the wound on his chest began to flare up in pain. The child quickly leaned forward and checked the bandages. They were holding up for now.

Pushing the jackal back against his pillows, the child made a stern expression and typed, _**'Don't overexert your strength. Your body needs time to heal. You've just woken up; take it easy!'**_

Infinite finally gave in and sank against the softness of the pillows. Now, he was spent. He felt... something inside him almost... scold him for what he took away from the child. Looking at him, Infinite finally saw a faded, jagged scar that fur couldn't cover. The child must've noticed the stare and touched his hand to his throat for a brief second, then shook his head.

Infinite didn't see it. Anger, hatred, disgust... he saw none of it. Had the child... really forgiven him?

 _ **'Get some sleep. I'll be here if you need anything.'**_

Infinite knew he was given a second chance. He felt it around him, radiating from the child still offering his hand to him. It was completely wrong... but he didn't know what else to do but take it.

While he was pretty much an orphan, no longer hated him, the world did. He was scared and he was lost, and he wasn't sure if he would ever gather the strength to own up to his mistakes and crimes.

But this child still saw something in him. Something... good. Maybe it was worth the fight. Maybe... it was worth finding his true self.

Infinite closed his eyes as his body began to give in to the demand of sleep. He didn't know what would await him when he awoke... but for some reason, it didn't faze him. Not as much as before, anyways.

He had to face the consequences of his actions.

Infinite would prove that Shadow had always been wrong... that he himself was wrong.

He was not weak.

* * *

 **And complete!**

 **So I don't know what made me write this at first. But then I decided I would make it into a small spin off after I finish my story 'Peace and War', so for now this story will be left complete. I'll add more to this after P.A.W. is complete, maybe.**

 **Please let me know what you think for now, though. Any reviews, comments, contrastive criticism is greatly appreciated.**

 **Until next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all! I decided to add on more chapters to this story- it was supposed to be a small spin off to my story 'Peace and War', buuuut I loved it a lot and the idea was seriously speaking to me so this will be a multichapter fanfic.**

 **I hope you all enjoy! I own nothing.**

* * *

 **I'm Not Weak**

 **Chapter 2-Nightmares**

Infinite's road to healing and self-discovery was by no means easy- obviously, not at first. Rookie realized that while it was great that the world was saved, he signed up for a LOT of trouble in taking in the ex-villain.

It was a odd thing to say, but Infinite had no one left for him. He didn't know how to handle things that for someone like Rookie, was more or less average or... at least, something he could handle because he had people to guide him. Infinite... well, he had no one. And the small detail became apparent one particular incident.

It was now going on two months since Rookie saved the doomed jackal from his demise. Infinite was free from his room, but was very, very uncomfortable with being in the same place as him. He took to staying in there almost all the time, just to avoid Rookie and anyone else who would show up to the home. He was still very weak from his injuries, and couldn't get around very much without some form of help.

Problem was, he refused to accept help. Or talk. Or leave the room. Or even LOOK at the child who saved his life.

Infinite never understood why the child didn't just toss him out of the house. Kill him, drown him, hell, even shoot him! Anything was better than this... this confusion he was dealing with!

He'd been convinced that Rookie was waiting, plotting for some sick way to slowly, painfully end his life. He made it a point to stay in his room, back pressed as close to the wall as he could physically manage, eyes alert for anything that would try and attack him without his knowing. That child was plotting something... he was going to end him for sure... he could feel it!

Infinite felt his hand running across his still healing chest. At this point, he was no longer wearing bandages, but the wound was still a nasty scabbing mess. It stung slightly whenever he touched it. But no matter how much it healed, it was still THERE. It was his reminder...

 ** _'I'm a failure... and this damn scar, that doctor, that ruby! All of it! It's just a reminder of how much of an idiot I was! I failed everyone! I'm still weak... dammit... DAMN IT ALL!'_**

Infinite was still taking the guilt of what he'd done to Rookie hard. He couldn't bring himself to talk to the child because as far as he was concerned, Rookie had every right to end his life. So why?

Infinite coughed, feeling even weaker as his body shook and his head pounded. He wasn't feeling well- hadn't been for over a week- but he choose to ignore it in favor of surviving. He had to... he was all he had left.

Rookie, meanwhile, was very worried. For the past two months, he'd been left with his hands hanging in the air. After Infinite was finally 'discharged' from the bedroom, the opposite happened, Infinite had all but barricaded himself in the small bedroom. That was red flag number one.

Number two- Rookie didn't know how to approach him. Infinite would never look him in the face when he would go and try to coax him out of the room, and it was getting to the point that the wolf was certain that his new guest wasn't eating. He didn't look too well, either- his eyes, when he could see them, had evidence Infinite hadn't been sleeping too well, and his whole body wouldn't stop shivering, as if he was constantly cold. Despite the weather, and the constant heat flowing in the house, Infinite was shivering something fierce.

 _'I wonder if he's getting sick again... he just got over an infection and he's not letting me care for him! He's gonna get worse at this rate... what should I do?'_

The most Rookie found he could do was give Infinite more blankets- when the jackal allowed him near the bed. Usually it would be Infinite trying to look intimidating by growling and, once or twice, leap at hi before he'd tumble out of the bed and hurt himself. He would still refuse help, and would sometimes still be there hours later, too exhausted to want to move.

Two months. Rookie was growing worried, but now, he was getting fed up. Infinite was getting sick! He wasn't letting him get worse any longer!

One night, a thunderstorm rolled into the area. Rookie used to hate thunderstorms, but after the war, he's come to appreciate them more often. He would sit outside and watch the storm as it went past, feeling the nice cool air and rain hitting his fur. It reminded him of his family and the time he'd spent with them just taking walks outside around their village.

As he walked through the home, deciding on getting a cup of tea to accommodate the relaxing weather, Rookie heard a ear- splitting scream coming from upstairs. He knew immediately it was Infinite, but why would he yell or howl or scream like that?

Rookie put down his cup and raced upstairs. Upon entering the bedroom, he found Infinite, trapped in the stages of his nightmare. Rookie sighed, shoulders slumped. After all this time, when he finally got to sleep, and he's fighting nightmares!

Rookie tossed Infinite's barricaded nonsense out the window and approached him. The jackal was tossing and turning, eyes rapidly moving behind tightly closed eyelids. Rookie placed his hand on Infinite's forehead- and withdrew it quickly. Infinite's forehead was burning up!

 _'Oh Infinite... you're sick again... I wish I knew why you wouldn't let me help you...'_ Rookie thought sadly as he stared at the fever-ridden jackal. He snapped out of it and bolted out of the room, grabbing some medication for him to take, as well as some rags to help him cool down.

 _'He's spiking, but it's not too bad. Maybe I can coax him awake and try to find out what's been causing his insomnia.'_

Infinite was unaware of Rookie coming in the room. He was still too trapped in his nightmare to notice anyone around him.

* * *

 _ **Infinite groaned in pain as he slowly opened his eyes. He had no idea where he was, or how he ended up there.**_

 _ **"Wha-? Where... where am-?!"**_

 _ **Infinite heard a slight jingling. Looking down, he saw his hands were bound together by chains and a very tightly bound rope. He wiggled his fingers and wrists, but the ties were not coming loose.**_

 _ **"H-Hey! HEY!" He called out in a panic. He was growing frantic now- without his power, without his sword, he was helpless. "Show yourself and release me at once!"**_

 _ **'Oh? And why would I do that? You killed hundreds of people, you know.'**_

 _ **Infinite knew the voice, but didn't click name to voice until he saw the face of his captor. "Y-You... you're Shadow the Hedgehog... what the hell are you-"**_

 _ **His questions were cut off by a swift kick to the jaw. Infinite fell to the side, his whole right side of his face throbbing. He struggled to sit up, spitting up a little bit of blood.**_

 _ **"Wh... what's... happening..." Infinite panted as he looked up at Shadow. His red eyes were eerily bright, almost glowing in the mostly dark area. Shadow approached him again, and delivered another swift kick, this time, right to Infinite's chest.**_

 _ **"GAHHHHHHH!" Infinite yelled in complete agony. His chest... why was it hurting so much? He'd healed, right? It was just a scab! It was supposed to be a scab!**_

 _ **'How do you like it, hmm? Left as nothing but a trembling mess... just like you left so many others to die.' Infinite thought he heard another voice behind Shadow, but his vision was a bit blurry, so he was unsure. He tried to blink it out, but it only made the vision worse.**_

 _ **"What is... happening...?" He muttered as he saw another pair of feet enter the area. The shoes were red, which should have been an instant reminder, but it wasn't clinking in all at once. His head was still ringing.**_

 _ **As his vision finally cleared, his eyes widened. Now he knew who the shoes belonged to.**_

 _ **"You... damn blue hedgehog...!"**_

* * *

Rookie sat next to Infinite, placing a damp rag across his forehead. He checked the thermometer that he managed to stick under his patient's tongue, and winced- 101.2 fever. Not as high as he thought it would be, but high nonetheless.

He didn't feel comfortable giving Infinite medication, especially in the state he was in. He was probably dehydrated, but Rookie had no way to get fluids in him. He sighed and looked at the suffering jackal.

 _'I wish I could make this easier for you, Infinite... I know you're hurting in there, but only you can break out of this.'_ Rookie thought to himself as he monitored Infinite, hoping he could at east break out of his nightmare, or whatever he was fighting.

* * *

 ** _'Ohhhhh, lookie here. You actually remember me! I feel SO honored!' Sonic said sarcastically. Shadow gripped the jackal's hair a bit tight and yanked his head up, forcing him to face Sonic._**

 ** _Or rather, the scarred version of the once proud, blue hero. His face was covered in dried blood, and his left eye was clawed so bad he couldn't open it._**

 ** _Infinite felt a bit sick actually seeing an injury like that, but swallowed it back and put on his bravest face. "I don't know what you're playing at, hedgehog, but release me at once so I can fight you!"_**

 ** _Sonic laughed. Infinite grew angry, and tossed his head back, attempting to get Shadow off his hair. It backfired; Shadow gripped his hair to the point it felt like he was trying to peel his head, and kicked him hard in the back. The jackal yelped loudly and tried to keep himself on his knees at the least, but the pain was oddly intense._**

' ** _Heh. Just as Shadow told me. You're still weak. Pathetic doesn't even cover what scum you are.' Sonic stepped closer to Infinite, then knelt down so they were face to face. Infinite was horrified._**

 ** _Sonic looked... crazed. Mad with something; power? Anger? Hatred? Infinite couldn't pinpoint it, and it scared him a lot more than he wanted to admit._**

 ** _'See, here's the thing. Infinite.' He spat the name at the jackal, as if it disgusted him that bad. Which it probably did._**

 ** _'I don't think I need to explain to a 'legendary mercenary' how much of a fool and a weakling you are. You did manage to end me, though, so I guess I should at least give you some points.' Sonic pressed his fingertips to Infinite's chest._**

 ** _'That Phantom Ruby...it could've really done something. If it hadn't fallen into YOUR useless hands!' He started applying pressure to the wound, and Infinite shut his eyes tight and tried to stifle a scream. It hurt, it hurt, it HURT!_**

 ** _'OH! I almost forgot! There's some people who would LOVE to see you again.' Sonic abruptly stopped whatever he was doing, and Shadow kicked Infinite's legs._**

 ** _'Stand.'_**

 ** _He tugged on the jackal's fur, forcing him up. Immediately, Infinite's stomach turned, and the nauseous feeling quickly turned to dread as Shadow forced him to walk._**

 ** _They didn't go far. Shadow finally let him free, although his hands were still tightly bound. "Well? What is this huge surprise?" Infinite had to keep up his tough act; he was certain he was going to die here._**

 ** _'Boss...? That you?'_**

 ** _Infinite's demeanor completely changed. He wasn't ready for this... he would never be ready for them..._**

* * *

"N...nrgh...no..." Infinite was mumbling, fingers gripping the blanket a little tighter. Rookie had been sitting with him for the better part of the evening. He glanced up and noticed it was still raining outside.

 _'Infinite...'_ Rookie squeezed his hand and decided to keep fighting his strange fever. It was all he could do for now.

 _'Please wake up soon. You're starting to scare me.'_

* * *

 _ **'Huh. So his pathetic ass shows himself now? Kill him.' The second in command, a gruff jackal who shared Infinite's heterochromatic eye color, stepped from the shadows. Sonic and Shadow grinned and roughly pushed Infinite towards his greatest failure to date.**_

 _ **'Go face them, Leader. Go show them how low you've fallen.'**_

 _ **They turned around, and disappeared, leaving Infinite with his second in command. The deceased jackal still maintained his military style headband and utility belt, but the eyes glowed with anger.**_

 _ **'You have some nerve. Don't even know why we still call you boss.' The jackal grinned and walked around his ex-boss like a animal stalking its prey. 'Not like you were there when we got ambushed. When we were all picked off and we needed YOU, but you just HAD to run away!'**_

 _ **A sharp kick and once again, Infinite was sent flying a few feet away. He lay on his side and curled up a little to try and fight against the strong urge to vomit.**_

 _ **"I... I didn't... mean for this... t-to happen..." He finally managed to get out. Another member of his squad appeared next to the military jackal, and Infinite felt his guilt level fall to lower grounds. It was the same jackal who died in his arms that fateful day.**_

 _ **'But you weren't there. You didn't even kill the guy who murdered me.' He may of been the oldest member of their squad, but he always a strange, childlike aura around him. Infinite would've never told anyone, but he tended to protect him the most because of that.**_

 _ **Although... the kid was right. He failed to take Shadow down after what he'd done. And even with the Phantom Ruby in his possession, he STILL failed!**_

 _ **'You let that hedgehog live. And I had to die for no good reason. That's really messed up, uh... Infinite.'**_

 _ **He had to admit, hearing him call his true name... sounded weird. He wasn't angry, just... sad. Disappointed, if nothing else. But he definitely wasn't angry, and the ex-leader didn't know how to feel anymore.**_

 _ **'Yeah, Finny! You just left us to DIEEE!' The only female jackal, who was a bit lighter in fur color and who had golden eyes, strutted in. She was covered from head to toe in blood and her left arm was gone at the elbow.**_

 _ **'Teehee! How does it feel, Finny? You get to suffer just like us!' She said a bit too happily. Leaning close to Infinite, she grinned and pressed a small blade to Infinite's blue eye.**_

 _ **'I wonder if I should just cut this out, hmm? Not like you're gonna need it anyways, right?'**_

 _ **Infinite felt his heart racing as the blade came dangerously close to his eye. He pulled back to avoid any damage...**_

 _ **... just as his ex-teammate took her blade and jammed it in Infinite's side.**_

* * *

Rookie was startled out of a twilight nap by the sudden scream of Infinite. He jolted awake, and saw the ill jackal twisting as if he were in pain. He was twisting close to the edge of the bed, and Rookie had to push him back with all the strength he had.

 _'What is happening?! He must be having one hell of a nightmare! I've gotta snap him out of it, and quick!'_

* * *

 ** _Left to bleed out on the ground, Infinite was unaware of how serious his wound was. He tried to turn on his back, but a cold boot stepped on his injured side, causing more pain._**

 ** _'Ohhhhhh no you don't.' The second in command sneered. Infinite realized he could barely take in air, and coughed up blood in an attempt to clear his lungs out. He was stuck where he was, unable to free himself, and helpless._**

 ** _'You never deserved that power. Hell, you should've been dead from that hedgehog! You should've been dead, not us! YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!'_**

 ** _Infinite felt the stomp over and over, the knife driving so deep in his body he was certain it was coming out the other side. It hurt like no other pain before; not even that day in the lab could compare to this!_**

 ** _"P...Ple...ase... I-I..." Infinite sputtered. He shut his eyes and opened them again, trying to adjust his sight. He took in a deep a breath as he could manage._**

 ** _"I'm sorry..."_**

 ** _The jackals surrounded him, and his second in command knelt in front of him. He was no longer angry, Infinite blearily noted as his eyes drifted closed._**

 ** _He hated him. They all hated him in some way, shape or form._**

 ** _Infinite could not blame them at all. It was all his fault... he was too weak to stop Eggman, he fell into the mad doctor's ploy, he lost to the hedgehogs, he murdered so many innocent people, he took away the voice of a young child who had the guts to save his worthless life, and he couldn't protect his own pack!_**

 ** _He truly was weak._**

" ** _I... I am w-weak...I..." Infinite didn't hear anything as his vision dimmed, except for one thing..._**

 ** _'You are weak, Infinite. And you deserved to die.'_**

* * *

Infinite's eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright in his bed the damp washrag falling in his lap. Rookie almost tumbled out of the bed at the sudden movement.

Infinite looked horrified. His eyes were wild and unfocused, and he was trying to escape the confinement of his bed. His hand was gripping his side as if there was something there. Rookie scrambled to recover his bearings before sitting next to Infinite and trying to calm him.

Rookie couldn't use his voice, so he grabbed Infinite's hands tightly and tugged him close to him. Infinite went a bit crazy from the unfamiliar contact.

"GET OFF ME! I'M NOT WEAK! YOU CAN'T BREAK ME!" He screamed in Rookie's ear. Rookie had to hold Infinite down before he did something to himself, but the thrashing and screaming was getting kind of painful to endure.

"STOP! LET GO! LET ME GO!"

Rookie kept holding on. Infinite kept thrashing. This went on for almost twenty minutes before Infinite finally realized he was safe and slowly began to calm down. Rookie was a bit sore by that point, and his head was ringing, so he was thankful for the break.

"I... I'm so sorry... I left them to die..." Infinite mumbled in Rookie's shoulder. He was drained of his energy, and was using Rookie as a support more than anything. Rookie rubbed Infinite's back and felt around for his phone. As soon as he got hold of it, he typed out:

 **' _Are you alright? You had a slight fever; I think you had a nightmare.'_**

Infinite stared at the screen for a while, almost lost in the bright mini light, then raised himself and stared at Rookie. He noticed the rag the wolf child was holding, and realized that Rookie was caring for him.

"A... fever?" He asked, lost. No wonder he'd felt so lightheaded before... "Am I... I sick?"

Rookie typed something else on his phone.

 ** _'No, I don't think so. I think you're just overexerting yourself again, and you haven't been caring for yourself too well.'_**

Infinite just stared straight ahead, completely out of it. Rookie typed out another question.

 ** _'Infinite..._ _have_ _you ever had a nightmare before?'_**

The jackal collapsed back against his pillows, staring at the walls above him. "I killed them... I couldn't even save my own pack..." he spoke softly. Rookie tilted his head and placed a hand on Infinite's arm to get his attention.

 _ **'Your teammates... The Jackal Squad, right?'**_

Infinite nodded. Rookie looked painfully worried as he tapped his chin. Finally his shoulders slumped and he typed out something on his phone. When he held it up, Infinite's heart stopped.

 _ **'They are all buried at a cemetery about a hour outside of this location. Umm... me and Sonic... we found them. They did not deserve to be left out there like that. So we, uh... buried them. I can take you when you feel ready.'**_

Rookie put down his phone and watched Infinite process what he'd just read. After a few moments, he shook his head and his hand reached out towards Rookie. Rookie was unsure of what Infinite wanted, so he did what came naturally to him- he grabbed it.

"Don't... don't take me there. Not now. I... I'm too weak to see them." He said, his voice still soft and a bit cracked from all his screaming. He tilted his head a little and smiled lightly. Rookie blinked- that was the first time Infinite gave him an expression other than angry.

"You... you really believe there is something left for me here..." Rookie smiled and nodded. Infinite shook his head and let his hand fall on his blanket.

"...thank you. For... saving me." Infinite looked a bit confused as he spoke the words, but Rookie understood. Infinite wasn't used to the strangeness of kind hearted people. Rookie typed out a question.

 _ **'I know you haven't eaten. Do you feel strong enough to come downstairs? I want you to eat something.'**_

Infinite hesitated. He'd grown comfortable in the room, and stepping out of his comfort zone so suddenly after his nightmare...

But Rookie was looking at him, hope sparking in his eyes. He gave him another chance at life, and he owed it to that child for him being alive.

But was that really a good thing?

"Y...Yes. I will come down." Infinite said. Rookie's smile widened and he got off the bed to allow him space to get off the bed. Infinite came down from the bed... and fell from not using his legs for so long.

Rookie came to his aid, and slung his arm over his shoulder so he could hoist Infinite up. Infinite was too tired and a bit uncoordinated to actually push him off, so he rested his head on his shoulder and let Rookie lead him towards the stairs.

"Thank you..." Infinite wondered, as he shuffled towards the stairs and away from that nightmare, if this is what he truly deserved. To be given a second chance, when his entire team lost their lives.

 _'I don't know... what I should do from here... and I... I'm scared...'_

* * *

 **And complete!**

 **Please let me know what you all think!**

 **Until next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello all! On with the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy, and I apologize for the wait!**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

 **I'm Not Weak**

 **Chapter 3: Finally Moving Forward**

Infinite hadn't spoken about his nightmares in three days. In fact, once again, he was avoiding conversation with Rookie altogether. Things were getting very, very awkward.

Rookie had tried, mind you. After the first night, he thought there was a small chance Infinite would open up to him, get him to understand. But just like a light switch, the jackal reverted back to his shell, and getting him out this time was going to be WAY harder.

Rookie tried to coax Infinite to at least explain his nightmares. The last time that happened... Rookie rubbed his cheek as the not so pleasant memory came back. Infinite slugged him, a bit hard for a creature still recovering from his type of injuries, after the two got into... something resembling an argument. Since then, Infinite hid in the room and made no attempt to get himself out.

The wolf knew Infinite wasn't sleeping at all. He barely ate or drank, just spent most of the time outside the hideaway under a large tree, avoiding him. Wasting himself away to nothing.

It hurt his heart, but... Rookie was beginning to wonder if he'd actually made the right choice saving the jackal.

What was he doing wrong? Why wouldn't Infinite talk to him?

One evening, Rookie worked on making dinner- quesadillas. He'd taken a fond liking to the recipe after the war ended, and Silver made them as part of the celebratory festivities. Long story short, he loved them, and after asking, watching the hedgehog, and a lot of errors, he'd finally perfected it.

His face fell slightly as he realized he'd probably be eating alone again tonight. _'But what can I do... I guess he needs his space...'_

Rookie shook his head and finished making dinner. _'Non of this would be easy for him, but... I wish he would talk to me. I don't understand why he's holding back from me...'_ As he made Infinite's plate, he heard a shuffle behind him, but paid it no mind. He figured Infinite would go to his room, lock himself in, and that was that.

 _'I guess... maybe I'm to blame. He probably thinks he's in hell someplace, paying for what he's done. I don't... I guess I'll never know.'_

Rookie let out a small sigh. It was no use thinking about it when he had to control over him. For now, he would give Infinite his space, and hope he would eventually come around. Instead, he focused at his task at hand- finishing up dinner. He whistled a light tune, wrapping up the jackal's plate, then putting it to the side and working on his own. A grin stretched across his face as he toasted his tortilla.

 _'I really need to lay off eating these...'_

* * *

Infinite knew he should've said something. He owed that child his life, and all he was doing was avoiding. Avoiding the conversation he knew would come, avoiding him entirely. He felt horrible for punching the child when he'd asked about his nightmares. All he wanted to do was help!

The jackal shivered under the very thick blanket as he curled his tail about himself and rested his chin on top of his knees, guilt eating away at him even more. This was hard... all of this. It was so much easier being a villain, being a murderer, because he didn't have to feel so many emotions at one time. The Phantom Ruby controlled him like a puppet, and he dumbly ignored everything that didn'y fit his ideal world... a world with only him in it.

But then, what was the point of all that? Losing his friends? Having people wanting him to suffer and die? Being saved by the very creature whose life he ruined, and act like everything was okay?!

"Was I... actually worth all this?" he muttered to himself. He listened as Rookie moved about in the kitchen downstairs, and his nose caught a whiff of whatever it was he was cooking. Infinite finally heard his stomach rumbling, and his cheeks flushed red. He was so glad Rookie couldn't hear that!

He knew he was hungry. Hell, he hadn't eaten in going on four days, and thirsty was an understatement with how he felt. But going downstairs, seeing that wolf... he couldn't. He'd live if he didn't eat...again. He didn't deserve it.

He didn't deserve this child saving his life.

A small knock at the door nearly caused Infinite to let out a shriek, and he was brought back to reality. His hand gripped at his chest as he tried to get a grip on his breathing and heart.

He heard the knock again, a bit lighter this time. Infinite looked at his hands. They were trembling, and bad. He was starting to see double, and he had been feeling lightheaded for a few days.

He was wasting himself away. He couldn't avoid Rookie forever, and it was time he faced the music. Struggling to stand on his legs, he staggered slowly towards the door, each step he took feeling like he was made of lead. His head was beginning to hurt, and he wanted to pass out, but he couldn't.

He needed to face Rookie and at least try to make things right.

When Infinite finally reached the door, he gripped the knob, took a deep breath to steady himself, and slowly opened the door.

* * *

Rookie was honestly thrown off guard when Infinite opened the door. It was enough to let him in, but Infinite made a point not to let himself be seen. Rookie swallowed back his nervousness, hoping there wasn't a fist ready behind the door, and carefully stepped in with two plates.

Infinite was hungry and tired. Rookie could see he was. The jackal was struggling to stand upright, his breathing was harsh, and he was gripping the doorknob way tighter than he needed to. He also wouldn't face him, keeping his back towards him. Rookie let out a silent sigh, sat the food down on the desk, and walked towards Infinite, fed up.

He rested a hand on Infinite's shoulder. Said jackal tensed up, but Rookie ignored it. He wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to do, but he needed to do something!

Infinite was hurting, someplace that Rookie wasn't sure he could begin to reach. And he was holding onto it, burying himself in it. It was going to cost him if Rookie didn't stand strong and hold him up until he could walk again on his own. He just wanted to understand his newfound friend.

Infinite the Jackal wasn't a bad being, and Rookie wouldn't be convinced otherwise.

Gently, Rookie pried Infinite's hand from the doorknob and pushed the door closed. Infinite's breathing began to pick up even more, and he swore he saw three Rookie faced dancing in front of him. All the fatigue from the last few days finally caught up to him.

"W-Wha... why... why are you doing this..." he barely managed to get out before his legs gave in. He collapsed into Rookie's arms, exhausted from lack of sleep and not eating. Rookie carefully navigated Infinite back to his bed, and managed to get the jackal- and all his heavy fur- on the bed and covered up. He retrieved his phone, then came back to a barely conscious jackal trying to have a conversation.

"I... I sor'y... I..." Infinite was barely getting out words that made sense. Rookie smiled lightly and patted his hand. He then typed something and held the screen to Infinite.

 ** _'Just sleep, Infinite. I'll be right here if you need me.'_**

Infinite eyes closed as he trailed off into something of a peaceful rest. Rookie noticed the bags that were beginning to form from his lack of sleep, and since he knew he wouldn't have to worry, he pulled back Infinite's covers to get a better look at him.

Rookie's eyes widened. He knew Infinite was supposed to have some form of muscle on him from all his years of fighting and running, but he was starting to look thin and sick. His fur was turning a nasty ashen grey color, and Rookie knew that jackal hadn't bothered to shower either. His white fur and the tips of his tail looked off color, too.

 _'When you wake up... you have to eat and you need to shower.'_ Rookie told himself as he watched Infinite sleep like a rock. He looked at the dinner plates still sitting on the desk and chuckled to himself. It was late, but Rookie couldn't go to sleep knowing Infinite was still in a messed up state.

 _'Kinda knew he wouldn't eat, but... rest is a good place to start. When he wakes up, I'll get him in the shower. He's not like Sonic- I know he's not afraid of water. He's starting to smell, though.'_

Rookie found his fingers gently making their way into his matted, dirty hair, and he began the process of trying to detangle a jackal's fur... without waking him. As he did, he drifted into thoughts about his new roommate.

 _'Poor guy... he must feel so alone. I guess I can say I know the feeling... but it's not fair. No one should have to suffer like that! It was Eggman's fault he ever found the stupid ruby in the first place!'_

Infinite stirred slightly, then was still. Rookie looked at him, gauging his awareness, before deciding he was still good to continue to detangle Infinite's fur. ' _The worst part... is that_ _I know I should hate him, and I should've left him for dead when I went back there. But what good would that do?'_

Rookie finally gave up, and got off the bed to stretch his legs. He then walked out to run some bath water. _'This is really frustrating... I wonder if I was like this back when I was working with the Resistance...'_

He stared at the water as the tub filled and sighed. _'It must be hard for him. He doesn't have his team anymore, and his family... I wonder if they know where he is. I've never heard him mention his mom or dad, not one time. I wonder if... he...'_

Rookie shuddered and stopped his thoughts, turning off the running water and grabbing a washcloth and towels for him. _'It doesn't matter. That's not him anymore! It's not him... but I... I wish he'd see it, too...'_

Rookie realized what he told him that night- that everyone deserved a second chance, that he was a good person- was true. He felt it. He saw it. Infinite wasn't a bad guy, just heavily misguided.

The challenge? Showing it to not just Infinite himself, but to a group of people who wanted that jackal dead, and getting them to believe what he did.

* * *

Infinite's eyes opened groggily. His fur felt... heavy. And really, really... wet? Was he damp? Was he drowning?!

No, his brain quickly realized. He could breathe, and he didn't have a salty taste in his mouth like he did in his nightmares.

Then... where was he?

He looked around. The room looked different, he noticed. It wasn't his bedroom anymore.

This one, it was a lot brighter, and with strange designs on the walls... wait. Was he dreaming again? Was this a nightmare? Some strange form of torture, perhaps?

 _'I wonder where I am this time... if that blue hedgehog decided to do this...'_ As he soaked in the water, he started to calm himself down. This didn't feel like a nightmare... in fact, it felt... good. When was the last time he enjoyed sitting in a pool of water?

And the smell... it didn't smell like blood and death. No, it smelled like... flowers? Something sweet? It smelled really, really, good, and it brought back times of the rare moments he and his mom would often bathe together when he was still a small jackal pup... his mom running her gentle fingers through his very thick fur...

Suddenly, it hit him. That was why he didn't feel panic. That was why that memory of his mother came back to him.

Infinite was in a bathroom. In a bathtub full of water. Next to a stranger. Naked, more or less.

He was vulnerable.

Infinite jumped up, sending water all over the place, and all over his child savior. Rookie was caught of guard- he'd been sitting on the toilet, his back turned away from Infinite to give him some privacy. His eyes were on his phone, playing a mobile game to keep him busy before he would have to change out the bathwater for the third time.

Until he was met with a huge splash of water. Turning around, he saw one sopping wet and very pissed off jackal standing in the bathtub. Rookie sat his phone on the towel, which he thankfully sat on top of a closed hamper, which was near the bathroom door. _'Yeesh! If I had known that would happen, I would've brought a protective case too!'_

"How... dare YOU!" Infinite roared out, shaking with pure anger. Rookie gulped- was he really upset with him? What did he do?

Maybe brining him into a bathtub wasn't a good idea... did it bring back bad memories or something?

"Did you bring me in here?!" Infinite demanded. Rookie nodded yes, keeping his arms outstretched for more Infinite's safety than anything. What was going on?

Rookie approached him carefully, trying to get Infinite to get out of the tub before he slipped and hurt himself. The tub was still slightly fully of slightly murky water, but it still worried him if he slipped.

"Why?! WHY?!"

Rookie felt for his phone, his eyes locked on Infinite in case he tried something stupid. Once his fingers wrapped around it, he quickly snatched it and, without looking, one handed typed something on it. Then he held it up to Infinite.

 ** _'You needed a bath, so I... brought you here so you can get clean again. I didn't know it would bother you this much! I'm sorry!'_**

Infinite closed his eyes, the sudden rush of anger wearing down as his anger disappeared. Now that he was calming down, his head was beginning to hurt. A lot. Rookie tried to help him out, but Infinite shoved him away, thinking he could get out on his own.

He struggled to get one foot out, and lost his balance. Infinite felt like everything was falling in slow motion as he fell, and he anticipated a blow to the back of his head. But none came.

Rookie has managed to grab his arm and stop him from making his body worse than when he started. He held a towel in his other hand, and without looking at Infinite, he wrapped him in it and helped him get out. Infinite noticed Rookie's expression- disappointment? Sadness? It was hard to choose just one... and the air around them... it felt thick. He was upset at him now, and Infinite knew he had a right- he overreacted when all the kid wanted to do was make him comfortable!

They made their way to Infinite's bedroom, and Rookie led him to his bed before he turned to leave and clean out the bathtub. He hadn't text a word to him the entire time.

"W-Wait... I..."

Rookie stopped at the door and shook his head once. He then pointed to a shirt laid out on the chair, and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Infinite felt... for once, he could admit it- terrible. The kid was only doing what he could, and Infinite had been giving him grief every step of the way. Maybe he regretted saving him after all... but he still did. The least the jackal could do was try and work with him, make things... easier for them both...

* * *

Rookie closed his door and stumbled to his bed. His arms hurt from having to move an ungrateful jackal in and out of a tub twice to change the water, but his chest hurt worse from the simple notion that he was wrong, and if the Resistance were here, they would have told him the same thing.

 _"Leave him to die!" "He deserves what he got and more!"_

But Rookie wanted so badly to prove them wrong! He knew there had to be SOME good left in him somewhere... even after what he did, he still forgave him because people could change!

But maybe he was wrong... maybe there was just no point in saving someone who was THAT far gone. Was he actually too far gone to be saved? Did he just not care about anyone but himself?

A tear rolled down his cheek. Then another followed. Rookie pressed his face into his pillow and let his tears soak it. He was tired of trying to be strong... maybe, just for now, it would be okay to cry. He'd worry about Infinite later.

* * *

Infinite opened his door, as quiet as he could. In his arms, he carried a blanket that Rookie left in his room, as well as a poorly written note. His heart was beating as he stood in front of Rookie's room door, left slightly cracked. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for an angry wolf, and his fingers wrapped around the door knob.

 ** _'Go in there! You owe him everything... even if it's not... easy...'_**

Infinite slowly pushed open the door, and other than a quiet creaking noise, it was silent. He stepped inside the room and used his tail to slowly push the door shut.

On the bed in front of him, back turned towards him and curled in a small grey ball, slept Rookie. Infinite felt a ghost of a smile tug at his muzzle as he set the note down on his desk. The kid must've been tired after all he's done for him...

Infinite spread the blanket over Rookie's sleeping form, and was a bit shocked when the kid didn't so much as move a muscle.

"... thank you. For giving me a chance..." He finally said it. It still sounded weird, but it was a small start- to him, anyways. He smoothed the blanket out, and left out as quietly as he came in.

"... that's.. harder than I thought..." Infinite mused to himself as he climbed back into his bed. He had to admit, he felt much cleaner than before, and maybe that helped clear his head... maybe. He liked the clean part, anyways.

"I hope it worked..."

* * *

 **And complete!**

 **I do apologize for the wait, and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! There may be about three more chapters after this so stay tuned! :D**

 **Please let me know what you think!**

 **Until next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello all! This little project is winding down, finally! Just a few more chapters to go!**

 **Anyways, please enjoy! I own nothing.**

* * *

 **I'm Not Weak**

 **Chapter 4: A Little Confidence**

Rookie opened his eyes as the sun shone in his face. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, and threw the blankets off-

 _'Huh? Blankets? Wasn't I... or maybe I covered last night and didn't know? No...'_ Rookie thought to himself as he tried to recall how the blankets got on him. Then he paused, taking a sniff of the covers. His body tensed.

Now he figured it out. The blankets had a scent... Infinite's scent. It was a bit musky, probably from the damp fur, but still smelled like the bubble bath he'd been soaking in before he snapped at him.

Rookie sat back on the bed, holding the blankets in his hands for a little while. Infinite was so angry with him for giving him a bath, but Rookie had to wonder if it was something else, something that might of come back to haunt him from his past.

 _'Well, I know how that feels. I'm living with the guy who rendered me mute... and it wasn't the easiest choice to forgive him, let alone save him.'_ Rookie mused on the day he decided to save Infinite from certain death. He absently ran his thumb along the soft fabric of the blankets, lost in thoughts of his own life and Infinite's.

 _'I don't understand him, and it isn't like I never tried to ask. But maybe... he's just not ready to talk about it. I wasn't ready when the Resistance saved me, especially after I lost the ability to talk. So maybe we're just... really alike.'_

Rookie sighed and set the blankets down on his bed. _'Maybe I understand what it feels like to be so far away from someplace you knew, from people you loved and... had to experience something you weren't used to growing up.'_ He hopped off the bed and stretched before reaching for his glasses and his phone.

 _'Maybe... I know Infinite better than I thought.'_

Rookie took his time getting himself ready for the day, unsure of what to actually say to Infinite after that whole bathroom incident. He didn't really want to see him, but he couldn't keep avoiding him, either. Something would have to give.

Returning back to his bedroom, Rookie closed the door and sat at his desk. If the Resistance were here, what would they do, he wondered.

 _'Well, Tails would probably kill him... as would Amy. After what they did to Sonic, it's a miracle I've been able to keep this a secret. Shadow wouldn't really care, I don't think. But... I feel like Sonic would tell me I'm doing the right thing. That it's good that I saved him.'_

He rested his head in his left hand and stared at his phone. He couldn't tell them where he was _because_ of Infinite- except for Sonic, no one would actually forgive the jackal for what he did, and Infinite would be all too happy to let them kill him since he no longer had the Phantom Ruby, and he found himself as weak without it.

 _'I don't understand what I should do!'_ Rookie screamed in his head. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. That was when his nose caught a whiff of something.

It smelled like... food? Cooking? And it was close, too. But who else lived around here?

Rookie quickly got up and raced out of his room. Whoever it was, they may know about Infinite and try to kill him too!

Once down the stairs, Rookie, Burst Wispon in hand, frantically looked around his living room/kitchen/dining room area. What he did see actually surprised him for a moment.

Infinite was in the kitchen, wearing Rookie's apron but leaving the back untied. He was frowning at a cookbook Rookie had completely forgotten he owned, trying to make out what he was supposed to be making. There were pots, a pan that was soaking in the sink, and a bunch of ingredients all over the floor and counter. Rookie sniffed the air, and what he smelled made his stomach turn.

 _'What on earth.. is he trying to cook?'_ Rookie wondered. _'It smells terrible... but at least he's trying. Maybe I should try and help.'_ He detached the vispon and sat it down, which alerted the jackal of his newcomer.

For a moment, heterochromatic eyes met sky blue. Infinite was gripping the cookbook a little too tight, and Rookie was worried he might of scared Infinite altogether. He began to step back towards the stairs.

 _'I... I don't think... I should talk to him yet-'_

"I'm... sorry..." Infinite's softness- and the odd fact he apologized so suddenly- and the fact he apologized at all- caught Rookie off guard again and he froze, eyes still locked onto him. Infinite was looking at the wall, a light blush on his snout and cheeks. Now Rookie was very confused.

 _'Did I... do something? What did I miss? Why is he apologizing for? Wait... did he give me that blanket? Really? I wonder why...'_ Rookie inched closer, wanting to know what the jackal had to say.

Infinite felt very uncomfortable looking into the eyes of a child he almost ended. He still didn't really understand what he was supposed to be doing alive, but he needed to be a bit more grateful. He owed this kid his life... even if apologizing was HUGELY strange.

"I... I shouldn't have... yelled at you. In the bathroom..." Infinite was struggling to figure out what he wanted to say. Rookie tilted his head and inched a bit closer. Infinite held up his hand as a signal for Rookie to stop where he was.

"D-Don't come too close..." Infinite was still very focused on the wall, grip on the cookbook ever tightening. Rookie held up his hands in surrender and stepped back, giving Infinite quite a bit of space.

Rookie felt like he was looking at a copy of himself, back when he was first introduced into the Resistance as a newly mute person. _'It's very scary... trying to voice how you feel and what is going on in your head to someone you just don't know.'_

Infinite scrunched up his snout and slowly, lowered his hand. He was still new to the whole thing, he knew it. "I... I don't... know... what I..." His voice was very soft by now, but there was a trace of fear that he wasn't doing a good job of hiding. Rookie felt horrible for thinking he made a mistake of saving the jackal.

"I...I think... that I... made a mistake. When I yelled at you... I didn't... tell you why."

Rookie watched as Infinite continued to struggle to figure out what he was trying to explain. _'But it's not just scary for him. He's walking into all new territory.'_

Meanwhile, Infinite set down the cookbook and finally lifted his head. Rookie was shocked to see a few lone tears rolling down Infinite's cheeks.

He inched closer, closer, closer still. There was an island separating the two now- and if Rookie were honest, it was holding Infinite upright, because he looked like his legs wanted to give out any minute.

 _'He looks like he's gonna break down any second. This isn't the same criminal who tried to take out Sonic, myself, the Resistance, the world...! Without the powers of the ruby... he's just like me.'_

Infinite scrubbed his face and took a deep breath. Rookie felt... a bit sad for Infinite. _'He's afraid of what the future holds... and for the longest time, he tried to keep his grip on it, hoping that he could bend it to his will. Oh, Infinite... I think I get it now.'_

"I... I had a bad experience... w-with water. My dad... he... scarred me for a long time." Infinite couldn't keep his voice steady, but he forced it still. He was NOT about to cry, dammit! Not in front of that brat!

"Still... thank you. For... doing that. I..."

Rookie typed something on his phone, then held it to Infinite's face. **_'It's alright. I think I get where you're coming from. You don't have to do this.'_**

Infinite closed his eyes in thought. It was rare that anyone outside of the Jackal Squad "understood" him. But then again, the only reason the squad came to be was because he was greedy, they needed someplace to go, and it was more or less an opportunity of convenience. He barely knew anything about his team outside of their names and the reason they were all there.

It probably didn't help they were the ONLY known jackals on Mobius. Who knew where their parents were... Infinite's shoulders slumped as he finally opened his eyes.

 _'I know where mine are... and they can stay where they are, too.'_

Rookie had finally cleared the small gap between the two, more interested in what Infinite was trying to make. The young wolf wanted to know so much more about Infinite, the real Infinite, but he didn't think forcing him to talk would work. He'd have to be patient and let Infinite come to him.

 _'It's gonna take him a while to get comfortable talking about things like that. But at least I understand now why he freaked out on me. I probably should apologize...'_

Rookie looked down on his phone and began typing. Infinite wanted to know what it was he was writing, but he couldn't bring himself to look that curious. He was still trying to figure out why he told a random stranger- whom he almost KILLED, no less- why he hated being placed in a bathtub.

So he stared at the cookbook again, the small, black font blurring in front of him as he zoned out. _'There's something... oddly... comforting about him being here. I don't understand!'_

And once again, his claws gripped the cookbook a little too hard, leaving more indents in the pages. _'I'm Infinite the Mercenary! I'm not so weak I couldn't handle a small bath! I shouldn't even be apologizing! But... he saved my life... even though I tried to take his away... ARGH! Why is this so dam hard?!'_

Rookie lightly tapped Infinite's shoulder, holding the phone to his face. He was smiling, just like he was the last time they fought. Infinite felt a bit wary, and his heart was beating much too hard for his liking- he could hear it! Still, he read the message the boy had typed for him.

 ** _'I accept your apology. And... I know where you're coming from. I was like that, too. With the Resistance, after they saved me.'_**

Infinite felt like his head was spinning. Here was a kid he tried to murder, whom at one point he could barely care less about existing, trying to help a jackal who was left broken because of Eggman's lie find his way back to... somewhere. He just didn't get it. And he wasn't sure if he liked it, either.

 _'What's... going on with me? I feel... vulnerable. Like this kid just... looked into my soul. It's weird... he's weird... I don't like this at all!'_ Infinite thought to himself. His tail began to raise, and Rookie took back his phone to add one more thing to his message. Infinite allowed his tail to wrap around him, the defensive blanket habit kicking it like second nature. He focused on breathing because at some point, he was pretty sure he'd forgotten how.

Rookie held up the phone again, but then did something Infinite didn't expect.

He gripped Infinite's wrist- really, really tight. The smile was gone from his face now, replaced with a determined look Infinite definitely recalled seeing before. _'That look in his eyes... he was just like that every time we fought. Every time he came close to stopping me. Every time he wanted to save his friends... this planet...and stop me...'_

Rookie pushed the phone a bit closer to Infinite's face, as if he were trying to make sure he knew he had to read the message. Infinite's eyes began scanning, and the more he read, the more he realized... he was really glad that kid was holding him steady.

 ** _'I need you to read this whole thing, Infinite the Jackal.'_** Rookie had edited the message, beginning there.

 _ **'I accept your apology. And... I know where you're coming from. I was like that, too. With the Resistance, after they saved me.**_

 _ **I don't know much about you, the Jackal Squad, nothing... outside of what I saw during that war. You scarred me, too. You killed my friends and family, and took away my ability to talk. I know I should've hated you, and I know I never should have saved you.**_

 _ **But I had a lot of time to think once we stopped Eggman and ended this nightmare. And I realized something.**_

 ** _My parents taught me never to hang on to hatred. It corrupts you, turns you into something you can't recognize. And I had to fight to remember who I was for a VERY long time... because of you._**

 ** _It was a strange coincidence that I found you that day. I don't know who or what led me to you, and I don't even know if saving you was what I was supposed to do. But I WANTED to save you._**

 ** _Everyone deserves a second chance. And without that ruby corrupting your mind, honestly... you and I are quite alike._**

 ** _We both know what it feels like to be someplace you don't fit in, where you feel like you're just... wrong._**

 ** _We both know what it feels like to be afraid of our future, to want to control and force it to be something we are comfortable with, because facing the unknown and the questionable is hard._**

 ** _I know you don't like being open and vulnerable like this. I know now that it frightens you, and you keep this façade up because it's easy._**

 ** _I want to help you, Infinite. I want to truly understand who you are, because someday, you will have to face your crimes. People are going to be afraid of you, and others will hate you._**

 ** _But... I'm your friend. And I'll always be your friend, so long as you want me to be.'_**

Rookie finally set the phone down. Infinite was staring straight ahead, still processing what he just read. He didn't know if any of that was true to him.

Was he really afraid? Was he that vulnerable that even the kid saw it?

Rookie slowly released his new friend, and stood back a few steps. He needed to see what Infinite would do.

The jackal stood there a moment longer, before his legs gave out and he slumped against the island. His head was spinning and he didn't know what to say to Rookie that could clear anything he just read.

Why was this kid so kind to him? Why did he want to save him? Why did he even care?

 _'I keep asking that same thing, as if I don't have my answer.'_ Infinite thought to himself. _'This kid saved me by choice. So why... do I keep asking that same thing?'_

Rookie edged closer to him and sat down, close enough that their shoulder's touched. He typed something else on his phone, held it for a moment in thought, then shrugged and passed it onto Infinite.

 _ **'If you want... we could go sword practicing tomorrow. I... I found your old sword shortly after we laid your friends to rest.'**_

Infinite nodded numbly, still processing what he'd read before. There was way too much happening, and it was doing so in ways Infinite couldn't understand. He'd honestly forgotten about his old weapon until now. He was beginning to realize just how much he relied on the ruby's power to suppress the emotions and feelings he kept calling weak.

 _'Maybe... I can... try. To figure out who I am as a jackal.'_

"Rookie..." The wolf's ears perked up. Infinite had never actually used his name before.

"... I think I burned something in the oven. There's smoke coming out." Infinite reached out and tugged on the oven door as he spoke this, opening it just enough to let a huge billow of black smoke out. Rookie coughed and covered his snout and mouth.

 _'How the heck didn't I smell that? And why on Earth was Infinite cooking?'_ he wondered as he just sat there watching the smoke come out in puffs. _'Better yet , what the heck WAS he trying to make?!'_

Infinite looked at him, a small smirk on his lips. "I... never said I knew how to cook. Or... well, follow directions." he said softly. He winced as the ear-piercing sound of the smoke detector came on.

Rookie blinked at him, one hand still on his snout. Infinite stared back.

Rookie's shoulders stared shaking. He gripped his stomach with one arm as his face began to turn a bit red. Infinite took a moment to figure it out.

 _'I-Is he... laughing? At me? What did I do that's so funny?!'_

Rookie collected himself long enough to find his phone and type something before he started having the giggles again. Growling, Infinite swiped the phone from Rookie and read what he typed.

 _ **'Infinite, next time, please let me handle the stove. You managed to burn waffles! They are frozen- you could've put them in the toaster!'**_

Infinite blushed heavily in embarrassment and pouted a little, crossing his arms. "W-Well, it's not like I knew that! At least I tried!" he whined. "And... I don't know what this 'toaster' thing is, either..." He added on, now completely and utterly embarrassed.

Rookie wiped his eyes and grabbed his phone off Infinite's lap. _**'You also said you can't follow directions, either. And the toaster is the silver thing, next to the coffee maker.'**_

Infinite growled under his breath and stood up, throwing the apron down on the island counter. "Fine! You help me clean then, brat!" he demanded, his voice much stronger than before. Rookie smiled, thankful his hand hid it.

 _'Infinite... he's beginning to talk more. Even if he can't cook. I think... he's beginning to understand. He's strong. He can do this.'_

Rookie got up and helped Infinite clean out the stove, the counters, and the floors. He tapped on his shoulder and showed his newfound friend one last message.

 _ **'We're ordering takeout. I'll show you how to actually cook tomorrow. By the way, what were you trying to make?'**_

Infinite ignored everything after takeout and focused on cleaning. Rookie couldn't help but poke fun at him the entire time, but inside, he was glad Infinite was coming out of his shell. He wasn't such a bad jackal- just a bad cook, so far.

 _'Tomorrow is a new day. But right now... I think he's finding himself a little. I'm really happy for you... Infinite.'_

* * *

 **And complete!** **Well, now we know Infinite may need some help in the kitchen, but he's finally beginning to break free from his shell.**

 **There should be about two or three more chapters after this. In the meantime, please let me know what you think- as usual, no flames. Any questions, comments, constructive critiques, however, send them over!**

 **Until next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello all! On to the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

 **I'm Not Weak**

 **Chapter 5- All In a Name**

Over the next few days, Rookie noticed a change in the aura of their shared little home. It wasn't tense or uncomfortable. It was, in a very odd sense, normal.

Infinite was slowly opening up more and more, not about his past, but just talking to Rookie more in general. They mostly spent their conversations talking about what Infinite could and couldn't cook, and Rookie helped him around the kitchen.

It was strange at first, but Rookie realized that he was right- he couldn't force the jackal to talk- he would open up when he was good and ready.

For the most part, they lived like roommates without an agreement- they were learning how the other lived and operated on a daily basis. For example, Rookie learned that Infinite liked to sleep curled with his tail about his waist, which made him warm enough that he never needed a blanket. It was one of the many questions Rookie really wanted to ask him- why did he always like his tail to be untouched?

Infinite learned that Rookie liked to be up early in the morning to work out and train for a while, keeping himself in tip top shape should he be needed to fight Eggman again. He, on the other hand, did not like being woken up unless the house was burning. He made sure Rookie learned that lesson VERY quickly.

Rookie had a lot of things he wanted to know about his slowly growing newfound friend. Regardless of what Infinite thought, Rookie believed they were friends. Infinite still didn't know what he called their... relations. It was definitely strange to call a non jackal a friend or family member, and even stranger that the kid hadn't turned him into the authorities or something.

As much as Rookie wanted to know- and by Mobius, his curiosity was really peaked and he REALLY needed to know- they were a bit, well, invasive. And Infinite was nowhere near ready to open up. Not yet.

There was one thing that had always peeked Rookie's curiosity, more than anything else on the planet- how Infinite ended up with the name he had. It was a very unique name, and no one else had a name like it. Well, then again, there wasn't a jackal like him alive, either.

Hedgehogs, oh, there were plenty. Foxes, check. Even Echindas were more plentiful than jackals. But Infinite the Jackal... there was only one.

Where was his family? His friends? Did he have a village? What happened when he was young? Why didn't he ever mention his parents? Did he have siblings at some point? How did he meet the rest of his squad?

Rookie had to fight the urge to ask all these questions. He knew there were bigger issues to worry about- the Resistance finding out about his survival. Without his powers from the Phantom Ruby. With the memories of what he'd done.

Did he feel anything for what he did? Was he sorry? Or was he really just that evil?

Rookie wanted to know. He REALLY wanted to know. But what he didn't know was how to approach the subject. Or when.

It was Infinite, oddly enough, who brought up the Resistance issue one afternoon. Rookie had been outside working on sword techniques. Even though Infinite was healed enough that he could begin training, there was something- probably a lot of mental trauma- still holding Infinite back. He hadn't picked up his own sword since Rookie presented it to him, instead staring at it as if it would come alive and kill him.

Rookie had a wooden sword that Espio gave him back when he was with the Resistance. He kept it for memories' sake, and trained with it and a crudely made dummy he had set up in the backyard. It was almost 2 in the afternoon when Rookie finished and headed inside.

As he walked upstairs, Infinite, who was in the living room, called out to him. "Child."

Rookie turned around and tilted his head. Infinite took a deep breath- he still wasn't too comfortable with this topic, but he knew it needed to be asked. "The Resistance I attacked... your friends... I see you never told them about me being alive."

The wolf blinked. That... was out of the blue. He slowly came back down the stairs, typing on his phone. Once he was in the living room, he held his phone to Infinite.

 ** _'No. I didn't. I... haven't been able to figure out how to tell them... or when I should.'_**

He pulled his arm back and added more to the sentence. _**'Its not like I don't want to tell them. I do. But they still remember you as a murderer, a power hungry creature who did... well, this to me.'**_ Rookie tilted his head back and a bit more to the left, showing the deep, jagged wound that was just beginning to grow a bit of fur to cover it.

 _'I'm a mute, to put it simply.'_ The jackal stared at him a moment, remembering the words Rookie typed the night he saved him.

 _'How did I forget... I almost ended his life. The lives of his friends. I killed his family, left him crying in their blood...'_

Rookie grew concerned as Infinite began to curl into himself. He reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, catching his attention.

 ** _'I don't think I should tell them now. Not when they aren't ready... not when YOU aren't ready.'_**

Again, Infinite found himself staring at the screen, at the words that spoke the clear truth. He knew he wasn't ready to face the world, to hear their taunts and see the fear he once relished in. He knew he couldn't hold a fight against Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends, not when he was this weak.

He wasn't ready. As much as he told himself otherwise, inside, Infinite still felt weak. Rookie knew that.

"T-Thank you..." Infinite was still struggling with that phrase, which made Rookie chuckle a little. _'He'll get it eventually.'_ he thought to himself. _'It just takes time. But I wonder... is Infinite giving himself a chance?'_

Infinite was still lost in his own mind. He had know Rookie for... almost two weeks now? Maybe a bit longer. It was so, so strange, living with someone he once tried to kill-

 _'Why do I keep coming back to that?!'_ Infinite growled to himself, gripping his head. Now he was beginning to figure out where those headaches were coming from. That same stupid thought- he KNOWS he messed up!

Rookie put down his cell and checked on Infinite, worried he may of gotten himself sick again. Infinite breathed heavily in and out through his nose until the pain subsided.

"I... I'm okay..." he panted, pushing Rookie away. "I'm fine... I think..."

Rookie frowned, but felt the best thing to do was leave it alone. Infinite was definitely lying, he knew that much, but he wasn't going to admit otherwise. He got up and went to get Infinite something to drink.

When Infinite finally got himself composed, he was greeted by a glass of water. He looked up at Rookie, then the glass, and slowly, he took it.

 _'Why is he acting like I'm going to slash his neck or something? I don't understand- one second he's talking and helping me cook dinner, the next, he's closing in on himself like I'm going to hurt him! It's maddening!'_

Rookie kept his thoughts to himself, and when Infinite finally got a grip on the glass, Rookie made up his mind. Infinite was still acting a bit too jumpy around Rookie, he refused to pick up his own sword, and now this... episode. He needed to know what was going on.

Rookie picked up his phone off the table, and began typing. Infinite was sipping at his water, letting it slowly flow down his throat. It felt nice, and he decided he could use the distraction.

He knew that Rookie was going to ask about his behavior, and he had no clear cut way to explain it without sounding too suspicious.

Eventually, Rookie finished typing. He was holding onto the phone as he read over what he had planned to ask Infinite, and the jackal noticed the young wolf's right ear beginning to twitch. Infinite found it to be odd, as Rookie never did that before- or at least, when he bothered to pay the kid any attention. But once again, he couldn't bring himself to ask.

Infinite set down the still half- full glass of water, lost in his head again. He knew he needed to start talking to Rookie about what was swirling around in his mind- most of it having to do with what he had done, when he was one with the Phantom Ruby. He knew sooner or later, he would have to talk to the Resistance about what he had done, and that was something he still wasn't ready for.

He really needed help sorting out what was going on in his head. Keeping it tucked away was doing more to him than good.

He also knew Rookie wanted to ask questions, too. Every time he glanced over him, every worried look, Infinite knew Rookie had a LIST of things he wanted to say. So why hadn't he asked him any of them?

 _'Maybe... I'm making it hard. I still can't understand why I get so angry whenever I think about my past. It's a mistake, but it's... not. I took away his voice, his family, hell, almost killed his friends! But... if I try to explain that... I get so mixed up... and it makes my head hurt.'_

Infinite sighed heavily, catching the attention of Rookie but paying him no mind. _'Even that night, after that whole bathroom incident... it took me almost three days to finally tell him the truth. I owe him my life, and he's been... nice to me. No... he... he did it because he wanted to. That's what he keeps telling me. But what if... what if he planned all this?'_

Cutting his eyes sideways at the worried wolf, who still hadn't shown him what he typed, the jackal's suspicions began to increase, and his felt his claws slowly digging into his thighs. _'This whole thing, all of it, it could have been just a ploy... to get me to become weak... he probably laughed when he saw how scared I was of some damn water! There is no way ANYONE with their right mind would save someone who ripped everything away from them! There's something wrong with this boy, I know it!'_

Rookie was so busy staring into his phone, editing what he was typing, he didn't notice that Infinite got up, his hands balled into fists, his teeth bared, his eyes lit with fury. _'He knew all this time, he knew that I was meant to die! He did this out of pity! He didn't want to save me- why would he! I killed everything he's ever known! He- he wanted to see me like this, to see me squirm! But I will NOT let him defeat me!'_

"I'm not weak... I'm not..." Infinite began mumbling. "I'm not weak..." Finally, Rookie's ears picked up Infinite's crazed talking...

...just as the jackal's fist flew through the air and connected with the side of Rookie's face.

Rookie was very surprised as he was sent flying into the nearby pillar, his phone clattering next to him. He looked up at Infinite, who was panting heavily as he started walking towards him, his hands still tightly balled into fists.

 _'What the heck?! What was that for?! Oh shoot, he's coming again!'_ Rookie barely had time to recover from that hit as he scrambled away from Infinite. He heard a loud crack as Infinite's hand connected with the pillar. Rookie saw droplets of blood on the ground below him, and realized Infinite was going to break his hand if he didn't stop.

 _'Of all the times NOT to be able to talk! But what set him off? Did I do something?'_ Rookie didn't want to fight Infinite- he'd only wanted to talk to him, and he barely even did that! So why was he trying to fight?

"I'm not weak! You hear me, child!" Infinite yelled, charging after him. "You won't defeat me! I will never lose!"

This time, he was trying to use his legs- which, from personal experience, would be REALLY bad if it connected with his face. Rookie stopped where he was, and put his arms up in a fighting stance.

 _'Owwwww! Jeez, his kicks are brutal even without those blasted shoes!'_ Rookie winced as Infinite's kick nailed him in his lower arm. That was sure to leave a bruise, for sure.

 _'Wait... he's chanting that mantra again.'_ Rookie clued in as he tried to dodge Infinite's punches and kicks. _'He's not weak, and I'm well aware of that! So why he trying to attack me!? I didn't even show him what I wanted to show him!'_

"RAUUUUGGGGHHHH! DIE! DIE!"

Rookie was pretty sure that he was out of options- Infinite's hand was pretty busted from that one punch, and his arms were bruised from the number of power kicks he was blocking. He wasn't trying to fight, but he wasn't too sure he had a lot of options left.

 _'Dammit! Infinite, what's going on with you?!'_ Rookie dodged and lept over the broken dining room table, grabbing a broken table leg as he ran for the stairs. He could use the leg as a weapon-even though he really couldn't understand Infinite's sudden fury. As Infinite rushed after him, yelling like death was coming, Rookie gripped the broken table leg, reared back, and swung at Infinite with all the strength he could muster.

The leg connected with Infinite's right side, and he fell to his knees. The force of the blow left him winded and dizzy, and before he realized what was happening, he was falling backwards- down the stairs.

Rookie reached out and tried to grab Infinite's hand to pull him upright. While he missed his wrist, he was able to grab three of his fingers and tugged on them hard. As he inched closer, he tugged hard on his arm and tumbled to the ground with him curling up in pain.

With Infinite now out of danger, Rookie could run back downstairs, get his cell phone and straighten this whole thing out.

* * *

"Ooooohhh… hunh…" Infinite groaned in discomfort as he opened his eyes. He was on the living room couch, and when he felt his sides, he let out a yelp- his right side was on fire!

"What just happened...?" He wondered as he looked around, spotting Rookie sitting on the ground. He was staring at his phone and hadn't realized that Infinite was up- until he let out that undignified yelp.

Rookie whirled around at the sound, and Infinite noticed his expression- Rookie looked a mix of relieved and confused. The wolf's hands gingerly hovered over his injured right side and pulled Infinite's hands away so he could feel for any damage.

Infinite was fighting the urge to push Rookie away- why was he here?! But he forced his arms down and let Rookie check him out. As soon as he moved away from him, Infinite's tail began curling around him. Leaning back, Rookie picked up his phone and started typing away. Infinite looked down at a particular spot on the couch, his hand absently resting on his ribs.

 _'I can breathe, even though it kind of hurts. What was I doing... what was I thinking?'_

Infinite felt a tap on his arm and came face to face with the phone screen. _**'What was that? What happened? You broke the table and I had to swing at you just to get you to stop! Is everything okay? Was it a nightmare or something?'**_

If it was possible, Infinite's intense focus on the spot on the couch would have burned a hole through it. Rookie waited for him to answer.

"I... I don't know..." he finally admitted. "I was angry and then... I blacked out." Nodding in acceptance, Rookie then began to type something else. As he typed, Infinite finally blinked- his eyes were burning from trying to block out what Rookie was trying to ask- and shifted around on the couch trying to make himself comfortable.

After ten minutes and a lot of editing, Rookie cradled the phone in Infinite's hands and tapped the top of the phone, telling him to read the message. Infinite was a bit surprised- for as long as Rookie took to type the thing, it sure was short.

 ** _'Infinite... please. I really need you to read this whole thing._**

 ** _Me and you have been living in this place for almost two weeks. And during this time, I've wondered so much about you. Your past, your family, your squad... just you in general. I want to understand things from your point of view because, frankly, I don't. You confuse me as much as you intrigue me, Infinite._**

 ** _I don't know what the heck just happened. One second you're trying to talk to me, the next... you're trying to attack me as if we were enemies. I never thought of you as weak, Infinite. I'm not mad, I don't hate you- I would never go through all that hassle to save you if I was mad at you!'_**

Infinite paused at that line. His fingers were trembling a little. Rookie noticed he stopped scrolling and placed a hand on his shoulder. His eyes were large and full of worry, and it was making the jackal feel uncomfortable- more so than when he first started.

"I... I know." Infinite said quietly. "I know you don't hate me, but I can't bring myself to believe that! It's... hard." Infinite admitted. Rookie tilted his head and tapped his phone again, telling Infinite to keep reading.

 _ **'I have so many questions I want to ask you. But I know you still aren't ready to open up to me. So instead, I want to know one thing. Just one thing.**_

 _ **How did you end up with your name?'**_

Infinite was stunned. All the questions in the world, all the things he probably crafted in his mind, and he asks... that? He let the phone rest in his lap and looked Rookie dead in his eyes.

"You really want to know about my name...?" Infinite repeated. "... seriously, you are a strange child." Rookie nodded, ignoring the side remark, and picked up his phone, scrolled down and typed a quick sentence.

 _ **'I know it's weird. And random. But you are the only jackal alive, and with a name like that... I bet there's a story behind it.'**_

Infinite let out a half-hearted chuckle and shrugged. He sat up, struggling to ignore the pain flaring up from his bruised right side. Rookie had his arms out, ready to catch Infinite at a moment's notice, but the jackal swatted him away.

"Child, I can move just fine." Rookie ignored that and kept his arms close to him until he was comfortable, then propped the couch throw pillow behind his back. Infinite sank into it, the pain lessening from his ribs as he thought about what he'd just been asked.

"My name... I don't think I've ever got asked that before." Infinite mused. "But before I answer that, first answer a question of mine: Why does this matter? Why do you care about any detail of my existence?"

Rookie took his phone from his lap and scrolled up a little, then placed the phone in Infinite's hand. _**'Because you're my friend. At least... I see you as my friend. I... I used to hate you, and I didn't think you had a heart, a soul, even a sense of morals. I thought you were evil, pure evil. But since I've saved you... I've come to realize you're not evil. You're just... mysterious.'**_

Infinite stared at that for a moment. "...I'm not evil... you say?" He closed his eyes.

"Then why do I feel like I'm... doing something wrong?"

Rookie took the phone and typed something, then rested the phone on Infinite's lap. Infinite opened his eyes and looked at the screen.

 _ **'You're still not used to opening up to others. I didn't want to push you and ask something personal, you know?'**_

"I understand..." Infinite inhaled and winced as he exhaled- his ribs still hurt. Rookie was really worried about that- maybe he shouldn't have ran after him trying to punch his lights out?

"Fine, child. I guess I can answer your question." Infinite almost chuckled when he saw Rookie's eyes light up. He moved his legs over to the right as Rookie decided to sit down on the couch. Infinite felt that weird feeling in his chest again- why did he have to sit so close to him? Why is this so important?

"I was born on Mobius, in a small jackal pack on the outskirts of this city. I never had any siblings- my mom and dad only had me." Infinite sighed and looked up at the ceiling as he told his tale.

"For the first two years of my life, I... I think I was normal. My parents chose to stay in our home- apparently it was more... customs for jackals to move from place to place. But my mom... she wanted to raise me in a single place. Somewhere safe. She felt safe- my dad often brought food and stuff home, and she was always cleaning and taking care of me."

Infinite looked at Rookie, then tapped his cheek just below his right eye. "My mother had golden eyes, and my father had blue. She thinks it was a miracle that I ended up with both of them- ha." Infinite lowered his hand and shook his head. "Miracle, she said. Seriously, some luck I had..."

He shifted a little. "When I turned five, my dad took me out to show me how a jackal should live. I don't really remember too much from that. Just... being cold. And afraid. I wanted to go home, to be with my mom. To be honest... I thought that was the night my father was going to kill me."

As Infinite spoke, Rookie could easily see how uncomfortable he was with this whole thing. His hands were clenched together, his eyes were looking everywhere but him, and he was constantly stopping and trying to find his words. He was also soft spoken and nervous, but he was holding it in as much as possible.

"I... think he wanted someone... better. I was not sickly, so to speak... but I was never fast or strong like he wanted. I was constantly around my mother. She was... always warm and loving, even when I didn't deserve it. As for my father... he stopped paying attention to me when I turned eight, and by the time I was twelve... we were at each other's throats."

Rookie subconsciously reached for his throat at the mention of the word. Infinite stared at him, not saying a word. After an uncomfortable pause, Infinite slowly reached out and wrapped his hand about Rookie's wrist, being gentle with the process.

"I... I'm sorry. For doing this... I let... the power of that damn Phantom Ruby control me, and... I was powerless to stop it." He cursed his trembling- why can't he control it?!

Rookie shook his head clear of the daze he was in, and realizing what Infinite said and what he was doing, he slowly reached for his phone and held it up to him.

 _ **'I forgave you, Infinite. I forgave you the moment I had found you dying in that lab. You aren't the only one whose life was twisted and ruined by that evil doctor. You're not the only one... and I wish you would understand that.'**_

Infinite felt his chest constricting as the wolf carefully removed his hand and rested it gingerly on his lap. _'No... dammit, don't you DARE start crying!'_ Infinite turned away as much as he could and composed himself.

Something about those words struck him... maybe Rookie really, really meant everything he'd ever said to him. "Y-you... you really... mean it. This whole time..." Infinite whispered, more to himself than anything. Rookie tapped his arm, then pointed at the phone.

 ** _'Could you tell me the rest of your story?'_** he had typed out. Infinite looked down at the question and nodded; he didn't really think he could tell him every single detail, but this whole opening up thing... it was getting a little bit easier... maybe.

"My father believed that I... was... an abomination, to put it simply. He believed that I would bring nothing but ruin and destruction around me, that I was this great big evil deity that only wanted people to suffer." Infinite was growing angry, his hand clenched into a fist. "He thought that I killed my own mother, that I would not only bring her harm, but that I wanted to bathe in her blood. He had gone insane... and tried to kill me because of that."

Rookie saw that bringing those words into existence was starting to upset Infinite, much more than he expected. He tried to rub his shoulders in order to relax him. _'Maybe it was too soon. This is really... messed up. Why would any father actually blame the death of a parent on their own child?! That must've traumatized him so much...'_

Infinite was getting a headache from having to actually tell his story. His head buried in his hand, he took a couple of deep breaths. This was far worse than the guilt he was drowning in for so long. "I never... I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to her... I was fourteen... he didn't even tell me she was murdered until we BURIED her!" he suddenly cried out.

 _'I want to know how... I want to know what he must've grown up thinking until now... but right now, his emotions... he doesn't have a good handle on it. I don't want to push him. Maybe he's been fighting to get a grip on his emotions since he was a child. I wonder... is that why the Phantom Ruby controlled him so easily?'_

"My father gave me the name Infinite." He finally answered the main question. This was going on too long; Infinite hated that he was even talking about something he tried for years to forget.

"Once I was born, and he saw my eyes... he said that I was some weird 'duality'." Infinite scoffed as the memory became crystal clear to him. "He said that my golden eye was the good in me from my mother, and my blue eye was from him. As I got older and stronger, he... he didn't have faith in me, or love for his only son. He believed that I was lost to the darkness he truly felt I inherited from him, especially since it was my fault my mother was gone."

Rookie reached for his phone, but Infinite grabbed his hand. "Don't... please, don't. I just... I need to say this." Rookie let his fingers uncurl and relaxed his hand, nodding in understanding.

"My mother always believed that I was good. That I would grow into a jackal worthy, do some form of decency in the world. My father... hated my guts. So he decided to pick something that suited my endless darkness... and that's how I was known as Infinite."

Rookie frowned. Something about that story didn't make sense; there were more questions coming up than answers! But he moved away as Infinite finally decided to try and sit more upright, even though he was wincing and hissing in discomfort the entire time. He grabbed his phone.

 _ **'Infinite... that's not the entire story. Is it.'**_

The jackal looked at the message, then flicked his eyes to the wolf. "No... it's not." he stated, his eyes glowing with annoyance.

Rookie wasn't too fazed; he figured that Infinite wasn't too ready to share the full story with him, judging by the expression he was being graced with. Still, he at least answered one of the more... pressing questions he'd been wondering about. So he would be content with that for now.

 ** _'Can I ask you another question?_** ** _Do_** ** _you believe you're evil?'_** Infinite glanced at the phone for just a second before he looked at the broken pieces of table in front of him.

"I... I don't really... know anymore." He sighed. "It's so damn frustrating to figure that out..."

Rookie nodded and typed a quick sentence. **' _I think... Infinite suits you.'_**

"Of course." he scoffed. "Only a child like you could-"

Rookie scrolled up and showed him the rest. _**'I think... Infinite suits you. You have so many options in your life, and even though the war happened, even with whatever else happened in your life... you kept pushing on. Who knows where you will end up... only you do.**_

 _ **I dunno… maybe it's because I'm new to this, but... Infinite the Jackal. It suits you perfectly.'**_

Rookie smiled as Infinite's facial expression finally softened from that hard, angry face he often wore. Rookie typed one more thing and held up his phone.

 ** _'I know it's not easy. But you're a fighter... and I don't think you got that from your parents.'_**

"You..." Not sure how to phrase what he truly wanted to say yet, he settled on, "You are so strange, child." Infinite smirked- a little one, but far better than when he first came to live with Rookie.

Both wolf and jackal sat in silence, each processing what had been spoken and their own thoughts inside their heads. Then Infinite looked at the wolf, curious about one thing he typed.

"When you said that... I wasn't the only one whose life was ruined by the damn doctor... who else were you referring to?"

Rookie looked at his screen nervously, his fingers hovering over his keyboard. He kept typing, then deleting what he typed and retyped the answer, as if he were unsure of what to say. Finally, Rookie held up his phone, but he made sure not to look at Infinite in the face. He knew how Infinite would more than likely take the response and he tensed, hoping a rerun of what happened earlier wouldn't happen again.

 _ **'I was talking about Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends.'**_

* * *

 **And complete! I know this was a strange chapter, and I'm hoping you all were able to see where I was going with this. This was also the longest chapter to date as well... so I know there's some editing that was missed. If you need clarification,** **let me know in the reviews or PM and I will be happy to explain it in the AN of the next to last chapter, or personally.** **Yes,** **there will be two more chapters. I think everyone will enjoy the wrap up to this little project.**

 **As always, please let know if you have questions, comments, good advice, the usual.**

 **Until next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello all! As promised, here is the long awaited meeting! This will be a two parter, and this is the second to last chapter as well.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

 **I'm Not Weak**

 **Chapter 6- Chance at Redemption**

 _ **'I was talking about Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends.'**_

Infinite swore his world went sideways. Rookie wasn't trying to look at him, and for very good reason. He knew- he just knew that was... was... well, he didn't know what it was.

That was always the problem, wasn't it? His emotions were constantly getting in his way, constantly confusing his already scrambled mind. But that damn hedgehog was nothing but a pain! He needed to go... he should've disappeared!

"T-That... damn hedgehog... " Infinite growled under his breath. "You think... I'm anything like that got- damn hedgehog!?"

Rookie shook his head and quickly typed something on his phone. Infinite was trying to get up- he needed to clear his head before he did something he would regret.

"Get off me!" Infinite tried to shrug Rookie's hand off his shoulder. Rookie instead gripped it tight and forced Infinite to stop overdoing damage to his body.

Stepping around so he could see his face, Rookie angrily thrusted the phone in his face. _'Wait, why is he angry at me?! He should know I hate that hedgehog- for Pete's sake he fought alongside him!'_

 _ **'Could you listen for a moment?! Sonic was captured because of you and he was tortured by the Doctor! You both have a lot more in common than you think!'**_

Infinite was definitely done reading. When it came to Sonic and his friends, he wanted to hear no words about them. He still hated their guts, but he didn't fully understand why. His voice dangerously angry and low, he growled, "Child... remove your hand or I swear, I will kill you."

Rookie stood firm and held up his phone. **_'Do it.'_**

They stared at each other- one pissed off, the other more annoyed than angry. Infinite's right side was still pretty sore, and he knew he was pushing it.

"I'm NOTHING like that blasted blue buffoon!" Infinite hissed through clenched teeth. "Do you hear me?! NOTHING like him!"

It was then that Rookie had a moment of clarity; maybe Infinite didn't like Sonic because of his defeat against him- not once, but twice. He was going to get to the bottom of this, that was for sure. But first thing was first.

He led Infinite back to the couch and sat him down, before heading into the kitchen and getting some ice and a clean kitchen towel to wrap them in.

Once he returned, he pressed the towel against his sore side, and placed his hand over it and squeezed a little. Infinite realized what he was telling him to do after a minute- keep the towel against his side to help with the bruising.

Infinite was still a bit uncomfortable with the closeness of Rookie. The constant... touching and close sitting... it was still too weird. He looked off, a quiet and mumbled "Thanks" all that could be heard. Rookie's shoulders slumped a little. _'It's like taking two steps forward and twenty steps back. Why is he so difficult to figure out?!_ '

Silently letting out a breath, Rookie tiredly looked around for his phone. He spotted it on the kitchen counter and typed as he walked back to his friend.

 ** _'Infinite, what exactly do you dislike about Sonic? The fact he beat you? The fact he's always happy? I don't understand what the problem is!'_**

The jackal looked at the young wolf as if he insulted his mother. "He defeated me! He's why the ruby tore a hole in my chest and left me for dead! What other reason is there?!" he exclaimed.

Rookie shook his head, then pointed at the spot where the wound had yet to fully cover and heal, using one hand to rapidly type a few words. **_'The Phantom Ruby tearing from you wasn't Sonic's fault. He didn't even land the finishing blow and you know it.'_**

"Then what, huh? Who's fault was it?! Oh, wait, was it MINE!" Infinite threw down the towel and stood up, ignoring the ever so dull discomfort for now. "I wanted that damn jewel to rip from my chest?! Huh? Is that what you're saying!"

Rookie shook his head no and tried to type out another explanation, but Infinite had enough of everything. He angrily grabbed the device and threw it as hard as he could manage at Rookie. It nailed him on his forehead and the force of the hard phone colliding with his skull knocked him back- and gave him a small gash, which began bleeding almost instantly.

Infinite froze. Rookie froze, staring at Infinite as if he were the monster he fought almost a year ago. The mind numbing fear, the blood, an angry jackal with a hand poised to kill-

 _'NO! I know that's not him; he's just angry! That's all it is... he's just angry...'_ Rookie tried to clear his head and struggled to stand, but the phone hit him much harder than he thought and he swayed just as he got to his feet. Infinite took a shaky step back, his eyes wide with fear at what he had done.

Rookie's forehead was still leaking blood, and it was dripping onto his fur. He looked a bit dizzy, and if the jackal wasn't crazy... a bit scared.

 _ **'This... this is what he meant... my father was... right? I don't have a grip on myself and this child, who went through all that trouble to save me... he's scared now. Because of me...'**_

Infinite didn't know what to do. Rookie clearly needed help for starters. The blood was beginning to make Infinite a bit nauseous, but he swallowed it back. His hands were shaking from the sheer overwhelming fact he just hit that child- and not because of the ruby's power.

 _ **'Infiynte?'**_ Rookie's fingers had been shaking so bad that he was making typing errors. Even holding up the phone was such a struggle; his head was spinning. _**'Are you okaiy?'**_

The wolf slowly sank to the ground and took a few deep breaths. Blood had dripped onto his chest fur and was drying on his forehead, nose and fur. The smell alone was nauseating, but it also brought back memories that he didn't want to have. _'Ooohhh… my head really hurts. I wonder if I should take something, clean this off. He looks scared himself... wonder what's going on with- oooooohhhhh, yeah. Yep.'_ He grabbed his head, careful of his injury. _'Man, that hurts! He had an arm for someone who hasn't been training in a long time!'_

Infinite felt tears pooling in his eyes. He blinked them away, only for more to take their place. Why was he crying? Why was he sad? Why did he feel awlful as he saw Rookie on the ground cradling his head?

He asked himself these questions over and over again as he finally got his feet to move. Walking numbly to the kitchen, the jackal grabbed a towel from the small cabinet below the sink, then a bowl of cold water.

 _'I remember this so perfectly, even though I've never done this before. I've never... saved anyone. Only brought pain and sadness...'_ He sniffed and realized his vision was growing blurry. Tears were actually rolling down his cheeks. His chest felt tighter and tighter as he approached Rookie.

Why was this happening? _'Is this... what guilt feels like? Does it feel like you can't breathe?'_

Flashbacks shot across his mind. His team, mostly, since he didn't have a lot of memories of his family and life before his father... _'Before he threw me away like garbage. Before I had to learn to fend for myself...'_

Tripping over his own foot, Infinite watched as the bowl of water and towel flew from his hands and shattered on the ground, the water quickly spreading into a huge puddle near Rookie's foot. He slowly glanced at the water mess, then just as slowly lifted his head.

"I... I'm..." Rookie held out his hand before he had to cradle his head again. Infinite glanced down at the puddle.

 _'What is wrong with me...? Why is it so hard to just... accept what happened and move on?'_ Infinite angrily wiped his eyes and stood up, heading back to the kitchen to get the job done right. Being extra careful with the bowl, he walked back over to Rookie, stepping over the mess he made, and knelt next to him.

Rookie had not realized during that time, his eyes had closed and he dozed off. He was jolted awake by something wet and cold on his forehead, and flailed his arms around, scared that something was attacking him. Infinite immediately retracted his hand. _'I shouldn't be surprised. I threw his own phone at him... maybe he's just scared of me now.'_

"I... I was... trying to clean the blood..." Infinite was reverting back to an old habit- struggling to say what he was feeling at the moment. His hand lowered as he began to shrink away from Rookie. The wolf was just looking at him, his face unreadable. It was starting to get... uncomfortable. Again.

"I... I'm..."

Rookie's hand slowly reached out to him and took the towel, smiling slightly in thanks. Pressing it to his forehead, Rookie carefully typed something on his phone before he turned the phone towards Infinite and tapped the screen twice.

 ** _'I'm okay. That throw just caught me off guard that's all. Don't worry I'm not mad at you for the mess. We can clean it up together, if you want.'_**

Infinite looked at the words... and kept reading them over and over again. _'Don't worry... don't worry? I just hurt him! Over that... damn hedgehog...'_

Rookie kept the towel pressed to his forehead, and reclined against the base of the couch as he waited for the bleeding to stop- and waited for his body to stop acting so strange. Feeling like he needed to do something to keep his eyes off the situation he put himself in, Infinite spotted the other towel that he had used earlier for his bruised ribs, and got up to collect it and clean up the bowl pieces on the ground.

He needed to move, to keep himself busy, anything to keep from the fact that he hurt the poor wolf kid... and all without the Phantom Ruby to tell him to do it.

Rookie slumped against the couch, tilting his head back and removing the towel from his forehead. Checking it, he saw there wasn't as much blood as there was a few minutes earlier, and figured he should give his forehead a few seconds before pressing the rag to the gash again.

 _'Funny thing is this barely hurts. Well, now it barely hurts.'_ Rookie was surprised when he saw Infinite with the small kitchen broom, awkwardly sweeping the porcelain pieces away. He sighed, letting the cold wet towel fall into his lap. The blood had slowed, now beginning to form a clot to scab over.

 _'Maybe it was too soon? But I still don't get why he doesn't like Sonic and the others. What is so bad about them? They really are just alike...'_

Rookie felt his bottom numbing up and decided to get to his feet. Slow and steady, using the couch for support, Rookie pulled himself up. He was glad the nausea from seeing blood on his fur died down, and he didn't feel so dizzy. _'Not too bad- maybe I was stunned by the phone hitting me, but I don't feel odd otherwise. Thank goodness! Now...'_

The wolf carefully walked to the kitchen and looked around for a mop. Infinite watched him from the corner of his eye, still awkwardly sweeping the small porcelain pieces into the dustpan. _'What is he doing? What is he looking for? Wait, why am I so nervous? My heart... it feels like it's beating out of my chest! What's wrong with me?!'_

Rookie finally found his mop and went back to the water puddle, which had begun to slowly evaporate. He began mopping up the water, humming a little tune inside his head. Infinite stopped and watched him work, still confused as to why he didn't take revenge, or at the very least text-yell at him.

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Rookie stopped and picked up his phone. Infinite noticed Rookie was typing much slower than normal, but assumed his head was still hurting from what happened. He could also see the small gash on his forehead- a small red dot that was darkening as the blood dried and began to scab over. He felt relieved that his angry throw didn't do a lot of damage and Rookie could move around.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean..." Infinite found himself gripping the fragile broom stick a bit too tight and tried to relax. Rookie showed him his phone.

 _ **'I'm sorry. Maybe it was too soon. I don't understand why you have a problem with Sonic, and I want to know. Is there more to your past I don't know about?'**_

Infinite quietly finished cleaning up the pieces, put the broom in the kitchen, and then returned to the living room to finally begin tackling the living room table. Rookie set the mop aside and knelt down next to him, waiting for an answer.

"... you asked me about my name earlier, did you not?" Infinite was keeping his eyes locked on the task in front of him- this was far easier than trying to look at the child. He felt that Rookie nodded yes, even though he refused to look to be sure.

"You believe that I'm a... fighter. That I have meaning behind my life. You actually think my story means something..."

Infinite sighed and sat on his bottom, crossing his legs as he held the broken table leg in his hands. "I... I can't really say why I hate that blue buffoon. He defeated me twice, yes, but... he..."

Rookie continued sorting out the table pieces- three of the legs were salvageable, but the top of the table was fractured and needed to be fixed. He glanced at the last leg Infinite held, but couldn't tell if it was salvageable or not.

"Maybe... I... I'm angry." Infinite set the broken leg down. Rookie finally took a look at his expression, and was a bit surprised at the omission. He also took in the expression on the jackal's face.

His ears were lowered, and once again, his large, white tail wrapped about his waist. His eyes, Rookie realized, were filled with all typed of emotions he hadn't noticed until now. _'What happened? Is he recalling another bad memory?'_

"That hedgehog... how was he able to find himself so soon? I... I was possessed, I lost my squad, and I... I can't let it go... I can't anything go..."

Taking a deep breath, the jackal closed his eyes in thought. "I think that... I hate him. Because he was able to move on... and I don't know how."

Rookie nodded, taking in what Infinite told him. Quickly typing a few words, he looked at his message and smiled a little before he tapped Infinite's shoulder and showed him his phone.

 _ **'You may be right. But isn't that the reason why you should talk to him? I know you have more to your past, and you can't talk about it now because its something that is hurting you inside. Whatever else you couldn't tell me... I know that it's eating you.**_

 _ **I guess... Sonic and the others would understand that. Sonic, especially. I just want you to realize what forgiveness feels like so you can be happy, Infinite.**_

 _ **But... the others may not like you. They may hate you.'**_

Infinite read the words over and over, his tail loosening from his waist. Of course they would hate him- it was his fault that Sonic was captured and tortured. He wouldn't be surprised if they tried to kill him. "I thought they would..." he muttered to himself.

Rookie set his phone down and placed a hand on his shoulder. Infinite glanced up to a half- apologetic smile, and tried to return one himself but couldn't. He just felt lost.

 _'Maybe talking to that hedgehog... could help. But I might have to deal with his friends, and I know they will hate me! He might even hate me! So what's the use?!'_

"Child..." Rookie blinked and leaned a little closer so Infinite knew he heard him.

"If you think that Sonic can relate to me... then take me to him." Infinite sounded shaky and uncertain of his actions, but something told him he needed to do this. "You say he and his friends... lost a lot to the doctor as well. But... they will still see me as a monster."

Infinite looked at his hand, reliving the memories of warm blood coating his hands as one after another, people died beneath him. "I still think I'm a monster. But... maybe... I can... apologize. To them."

Rookie picked up his phone and typed before showing the phone to Infinite. _**'Its okay if you think you need more time. I've... spoken to a few members since the war ended. I... I guess... even with the threat of you gone, what you did changed a lot of lives. Eggman was the controller, but it was you we all saw. So I know there's going to be some... tension.**_

 _ **Except... Sonic actually thinks there's hope for you. He agrees with me- you deserve a second chance. That's why I want you to talk with him. Maybe he can help you... in a way that I can't.'**_

Infinite realized that the last part of his sentence bothered Rookie- he seemed like he was trying to hold in his tears, but still offering encouragement and support. "You... you don't... have to keep doing this." he tried to say, but it felt... well, weird. _'I need him to do this... because I'm too weak to do it myself. What's wrong with me?!'_

Rookie looked shocked as he shook his head no before he gave Infinite a determined thumbs-up. Something about that gave Infinite much more strength than he had ever felt before, and he slowly allowed a small, actual smile to form.

"Thank you... Rookie." Infinite whispered. Yeah, still weird, but that time, he felt genuine. He meant that- if Rookie hadn't saved him, yeah, he would have died, but the child was being so patient with him, so kind and caring and...

 _'I guess... this is what it feels like... when I finally have someone I can call... a friend.'_

 ** _'So, how about it? Ready to see Sonic and made amends?'_**

"I... I don't know if that's what I can do, but... I need to try." Infinite finally got to his feet and held out the broken table leg to Rookie. "After we finish fixing the table... alright?"

Rookie nodded happily as he took the leg and sat it with the others. He was glad that he was at least giving this a chance, and that was all he could hope for. _'I think this might be what he needs. It might help him get out of his head a little, too.'_

He then pointed to Infinite's bruised ribs, wondering if his side still hurt. Infinite chuckled lightly and rested a hand on his side- the pain was very dull, almost nonexistent, and he had been breathing fairly normal all this time, so he assumed all was well.

"I am fine, child. Let's fix this table."

As Infinite began cleaning up the splintered wood, Rookie couldn't help but be proud. It hadn't been easy for Infinite to make it as far as he did, but he had been getting there, even with all the setbacks. He would learn to forgive himself, and after that? Well, only he could decide that.

 _'I'm just happy he will find his true way. I knew you were not evil, Infinite. Just... lost. Confused. Afraid. But now, you are not alone.'_ Rookie got to his feet, stretched, gently ran his fingertips over his gash- it was painless now and scabbing over well- then went to find something to put his table back together.

 _'Let's get you some closure, Infinite. And maybe, the others... will have that, too. Just like I have.'_

* * *

Infinite had never walked through the section of wooded trees and other plants before. It was a quiet route, and according to Rookie, the fastest way to reach the outskirts of the city. He crossed his arms, feeling oddly naked as he walked past.

Infinite hadn't told Rookie, but they were actually close to his old village. There was still so much in regards to his past he never disclosed to Rookie, and until they set out to meet with Sonic and the others, he hadn't planned on it.

But there was also something else he didn't tell Rookie- there were still jackals left in the village. Thankfully, his father wasn't one of them, but his squad's parents and siblings, last he heard, had relocated to this village shortly after he lost his team and submitted himself to Eggman. He wished he had reached out to them, offered some kind of condolences for the people they lost, but... what was he to say?

It was his fault they died. He was never strong enough to protect them, and he knew it.

Infinite's arms tensed, feeling worse and worse about himself as Rookie walked a little ahead of him, smiling like nothing was wrong. He knew this time, Rookie wasn't to blame- if he had just told him earlier, maybe he would have reconsidered this whole thing.

 _'I don't think he would. He really thinks that blue buffoon can really understand what I'm dealing with? He at least still has his friends! I... I don't have anyone-'_

He paused as he caught himself looking at Rookie, and was shocked when he felt a smile forming. _'No... this child... I guess... is my friend. He's been the only one willing to go as far as he did, and he never thought that I was weak- he wants me to be... happy. I don't really know what that means, but... if he thinks there's some hope for me... then maybe I should start doing that, too.'_

Rookie suddenly stopped walking all of the sudden, almost causing a still lamenting Infinite to bump into him. "What the hell...? What is going on?"

The wolf pointed to a clearing. Infinite followed the direction and felt his chest doing that strange tightening thing again. They were now at the entrance to his village, and slightly off to the left was the threshold into the city where Sonic and his friends were.

Rookie glanced briefly at Infinite, then typed a question on his phone. _**'Once we cross this threshold, we'll be very close to downtown. I told Sonic that I was bringing someone for them to meet, so they're waiting for us.**_

 _ **Are you sure you can handle this? I mean, I'll be right there with you, but... I don't know how you feel about all of this happening so soon.'**_

"I..." Infinite wasn't sure what he was feeling. Nervous was an understatement, but the fact that he was so close to a place he hadn't been to since he was a teenager wasn't making matters any easier, either. He really, really wanted to go inside his village, to at least see how everyone was doing. But he couldn't face them- they would have heard from the city about his rampage, his murders, his chaos... and the loss of their own.

Infinite failed as a jackal. There was no way he was strong enough to face his past. But going into the city wasn't any better of a choice- people would know who he was almost instantly. He was the only creature with a fluffy, large white tail, pointed shoes with an infinite symbol and eyes that could pierce into one's soul.

Mask or no mask, everyone knew who Infinite the Jackal was... a stone cold killer. He couldn't possibly face the townspeople and handle the stares, the anger... he couldn't!

Infinite's feet moved faster than his brain- he was already backing away, from Rookie, from that entrance, from his past. Rookie sighed- he knew that it was too soon, but he was proud Infinite walked this far. He knew that he was scared- he could hear the tension from behind him as they had walked, and Infinite wasn't aware that his soft mumblings could be heard by the wolf due to his sharpened hearing.

To be honest, Rookie thought as he stood by Infinite's side, he was actually expecting him to call the whole thing off an hour ago. Infinite was nervous and possible still a bit afraid, and he understood that. He didn't want him to think he was forcing him to do something he wasn't comfortable doing.

 _'It's just like the closeness thing. He doesn't like people getting too close, me included. But can I really blame him?'_ Rookie placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Infinite to lift his head, but not look at him directly. His shoulder tensed with the contact, but Rookie chose not to let it bother him.

 _'Whether it's facing his past or me doing something like this... Infinite is still learning how to live with what he's done. I guess I'm not the best person to cheer him up because he still beats himself up for what he did to me. I just... I wish I had a better way to show him I'm not angry anymore. I really do forgive you, Infinite. The others... well, they need more time, Tails especially. I know that. But... we all need to let this anger and guilt go so we can all move on and live.'_

"I can't..." Infinite finally spoke, his voice cracking. He shook his head. "I can't go back there... I... I..."

Rookie tilted his head, trying to read Infinite's broken words. The jackal's shoulders were trembling a little. "I can't do this... they won't forgive me... they'll..." Infinite forced himself not to show any more weakness and swiped across his eyes.

"I'm sorry... but I don't think I can go back..." Infinite softly apologized. He looked at Rookie, who was looking at him with a curious, yet understanding expression. "I don't... I can't..."

Rookie typed something on his phone, then gave it to Infinite to read. _**'I know you're scared. I don't know exactly what is going through your head right this moment, or what you must be feeling, but... I do know that I get you're afraid of going back to the city.**_

 _ **You know, it's okay to be scared. It's a pretty big step for you to take, going inside after all was said and done. Yeah, people still talk about what happened, but... you deserve to have your own story told, from your own lips.**_

 _ **I'm defending you... because while you did scar me and take away my voice, I had time to think. After the war, I realized that in order for me to live my own life, I had to let go of my hatred and anger for you. And I did. That's why I was able to save you and still smile.**_

 _ **You're my friend, Infinite. And you have your own story to tell the others, like you told me. You deserve a second chance, and I want you to have that more than anything.'**_

"But... what if I'm not worthy of that...?" Infinite asked him, doubt clouding His shoulders were less tense, but still trembled as he spoke. "What if they don't see that...I am sorry for what I did? I hurt so many people, I... I hurt you..."

Rookie gently squeezed his shoulder before typing an answer. _**'I know you hurt me, but saying it isn't going to take the fact away that I'm still going to be a mute. You apologized the night after the bathroom incident, and even went out your way to bring me a blanket. I know you've been struggling with that, but you're TRYING. That's all I want you to do.**_

 _ **Find your comfort zone, Infinite. You're doing a really good job figuring it out, and I know- by Mobius, I know- you're still uncomfortable and you're going to blame yourself for a LONG time.**_

 _ **Just let yourself heal, okay? Give yourself time to get a grasp on everything. You have me if things get too hard, and it DOES NOT MAKE YOU WEAK. You got that?'**_

Infinite was thrown completely for a loop when Rookie suddenly hugged him, resting his head on his shoulder. Infinite stood there, arms still at his sides, unsure of what the hug meant or what to do about it.

"Why... why are you doing this..." he whispered. Rookie hugged him tighter and nodded. "Why do you always... do this..." It wasn't long before, very slowly, Infinite's arms lifted to try and return the hug.

He felt very, very strange. Not uncomfortable like all the other times Rookie got too close, just... strange. He couldn't really recall the last time anyone did something like this with him, and he assumed that was where the strange feeling was coming from. _'He always does this... weird thing to me. He keeps making me realize that this is okay, but I don't understand how or why or... anything.'_

"I... I'm sorry..." Infinite apologized. Rookie shook his head, still patiently waiting for him to finish the hug. It took Infinite a few minutes of uncomfortable debating, but, finally, he wrapped his arms about Rookie and completed his hug. "I'm sorry... I..."

Rookie began rubbing his back. He felt a small jerk against him and knew what was about to happen before Infinite realized it himself. _'For once, Infinite... allow yourself a chance to do this. Please.'_

The jackal finally felt the corners of his eyes stinging, but he didn't want to break the hug. The more he tried to blink, the blurrier his vision became. It reminded him of what he almost did earlier while they were fixing up the living room table- but he had forced himself not to break down. This time was different... because there was someone standing here, holding him together.

Infinite let out a small sob before he pressed his face in Rookie's shoulder. Something about that kept him ground, which he felt he needed right now. His arms tightened around Rookie, desperately needing to hold onto him. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." he sobbed. Rookie smiled to himself and kept rubbing his back, a few tears rolling down his own cheeks.

 _'_ _Infinite... you finally understand. I'm so glad you let me help you. I'm glad I was able to forgive you. Now you can begin to forgive yourself... and things can be easier for you.'_

Rookie didn't care how long Infinite wanted to let that anguish out. From the way he sounded, Infinite hadn't let himself cry in a very long time. He felt honored that Infinite finally trusted him enough to let this side of him show. He continued to rub his back as he felt the shuddering sobs tear through the jackal. His shoulder was soon damp with tears, but Rookie didn't care.

 _'I'm really proud of you, Infinite. You're stronger than you realize, and I hope you know that.'_

A few minutes passed before Infinite felt composed enough to break the close contact. He wiped his eyes and looked at Rookie, another rare genuine smile on his face. Rookie returned it, seeing how much relieved Infinite looked to finally get some of that off his chest.

 ** _'How do you feel?'_** Rookie asked him. Infinite thought about it for a moment, then answered, "I... I think I feel a bit.. better. Never actually did... well, that before. Umm, I... umm... " Infinite was _still_ trying to get accustomed to the thanking portion of conversations. It make Rookie chuckle to himself a little.

 _ **'Don't thank me, Infinite. I didn't do anything. You've been slowly figuring a lot of things out, and I think... you can do this.'**_ Rookie pointed to the clearing once again. _**'You're stronger than you realize, you know that?'**_

Infinite read the last line over and over again. "I'm... stronger? But I don't understand... I just stood here and cried like a lost pup..."

Rookie wanted to laugh at the confusion on Infinite's face- it was painfully innocent to boot. _**'Yes, you did... but you needed to let that out. It takes a strong person to do something like that, especially with someone you once thought hated you.'**_

Infinite still didn't understand. Rookie just smiled. _**'You'll understand as time goes on. Don't worry. But... the real question- are you ready to see Sonic and the others?'**_

Infinite looked at the clearing- at the threshold to the city, then at the entrance to the village. He looked at Rookie, who was warmly smiling at him, waiting for his answer.

"I... I guess I can talk with him..." he decided. "And when we finish... there's something I need to show you. I... I owe you this much."

Rookie nodded; he was very curious to see what it was Infinite needed to show him, but he was glad he decided to give Sonic and the others a chance. He typed one more sentence and showed it to him:

 _ **'You know... you should smile more often. I like when you do that. It looks... good on you.'**_

Infinite's cheeks tinted red as Rookie covered his mouth to hide his laughing expression. Unsure of what to say, Infinite just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Don't make me hurt you, Rookie." he threatened, a bit more light-hearted than his usual tone of speech.

Rookie realized he actually called him by his name yet again, but was still too busy laughing at his friend's pouting, blushing face to really care. Taking the lead once he calmed down, Rookie motioned for Infinite to follow him. Infinite steeled himself for what he would have to deal with once he entered the threshold.

 _'This is it. I need to face that blue hedgehog and try and atone for what I've done. It's not going to be easy, but... somehow... with Rookie here... I feel like I can actually... do this. I have to... not for him... but for myself.'_

The duo crossed over into the city. As soon as they did, a familiar voice called out to them from a bridge just above them. "YO! Rookie! Long time no see!"

Sonic the Hedgehog jumped down and ran over to them. Rookie waved at him, but Infinite stood a bit behind him, still unsure if he would need to fight or run. Sonic greeted Rookie, then caught a glimpse of a poofy white tail and grinned. Rookie stepped aside so they could get a good look at each other.

"Infinite the Jackal, right?" Sonic looked... battle-worn. He was scarred from head to toe, but still had the same bright green eyes and cheesy grin that used to annoy Infinite to no end. Sonic extended his hand to his once rival, grinning like usual.

"Long time no see. Glad to hear Eggman didn't kill you." Infinite's hand slowly reached out to complete the handshake, unsure of what else to do. He had been expecting more... anger, rage, something along those lines. But looking at Sonic, except for the new scars he sported, he didn't seem too different than what he could remember while fighting him in the war.

"Sonic the Hedgehog... it's good to see you're still just as annoying as before." Infinite was grinning himself as the pair shook hands. Sonic had a feeling that what Rookie told him was right- Infinite was different, and just as scarred as he was from this crazy war. He was interested to hear what he had to say, and had just as much that he wanted to say to him as well.

"Well, whaddya say we take this lovely meeting elsewhere so we have some privacy?" Sonic turned to walk towards a secluded, still crumbling section of the city. "Besides, I kinda don't want anyone to see you just yet. Not until we've talked."

Rookie and Infinite shared a brief glance before following Sonic. _'I wonder... what his story will be like?'_

* * *

 **And complete!** **Only one more chapter to go!**

 **Please let me know what you all think- this was one of my favorite chapters to write, but also one of the trickiest for me because I didn't want to make Infinite sound so... cry baby-ish, you know?**

 **Until next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello all! We have finally reached the end of this little project! Before I begin, I'd like to thank: Infinite's Ruby, fanakatsuki, cynthiaaldaba, BluieTheJackal, and all guest rewviewers** **for their constant support and thoughts- you guys seriously brought a smile to my face knowing you enjoyed this little piece (Which was originally supposed to be a one shot, mind you.)**

 **With that, please enjoy! I own nothing, as usual.**

* * *

 **I'm Not Weak**

 **Chapter 7: The Future Is Mine**

Sonic, Rookie and Infinite continued their walk through the ruined section of the city mostly in silence- Rookie and Sonic were talking/texting amongst each other, while Infinite hung back a little, looking at the damaged city.

 _'I did this... I caused so much damage, and this... this is all that's left...'_ Infinite had to once again fight the powerful urge to turn tail and run, hide his failures and shame and guilt in the home he and Rookie shared. But he swallowed it back and kept walking, still hanging behind but also close to Rookie in case things became hard and he needed his support again.

 _'The way he texts him... the happiness he looks like he's feeling...'_ Infinite didn't really know how to put what he was experiencing, but... he didn't like the fact Rookie and Sonic were friends. It felt wrong- what if Rookie was telling him everything they talked about back at the house? What if he was airing his weakness out to Sonic, just leaving him high and dry and -

 _'STOP. Stop it, Infinite! You sound crazy!'_ he tried to tell himself. He shook his head and breathed deeply. _'Stop that. Sonic is one of the reasons you have a friend... he saved him from the damage you caused. He can be friends with him...'_

When Sonic put his arm about Rookie and gave him a playful noogie, however, Infinite got very defensive , approached the two and quickly yanked his arm off, teeth bared as he pushed Rookie behind him. "Don't you dare hurt him!" he snarled. Rookie glanced at him, concerned when he saw how angry Infinite truly was.

Sonic, slightly fazed but mostly surprised, put his hands up in peace and stepped closer to the pair. Infinite's growling on any other day would have shaken the hedgehog and Rookie would already be dead. But as Sonic looked on, still keeping his hands up, he noticed how close Infinite was to Rookie, the protective stance he was taking up instead of attacking the poor wolf, and his tail moving towards Rookie as if to wrap him in it.

"So you're friends with little Rookie?" Sonic asked, smiling at the strange, if not heartwarming sight in front of him. Infinite grew angrier- now that damn hedgehog was mocking him?!

"Do you have a death wish?" Infinite snarled, now stepping towards Sonic, his hands clenched. "Because if so, I'll happily grant it for you!"

Rookie placed a hand on Infinite's shoulder and squeezed hard enough that the jackal whirled around, almost slashing at him as he did so. Rookie's phone was in his face, a message on it; he'd typed it while watching the situation unfold.

 _ **'Infinite... thank you. But Sonic is my friend, too. Just like you are. I promise, you can trust him. He's not going to hurt you or me.'**_

The jackal looked at the phone, then flicked his eyes to Rookie. The kid's smile was seriously infectious, he had to admit... and his eyes were full of honesty. He wasn't lying to him, that much was for sure. "Are you sure...?" Infinite's voice was soft once again, still nervous around Sonic- and if he was quite honest with himself, jealous.

He'd figured it out now. It was jealousy at how easy Rookie looked when he was talking to him. He didn't act scared and nervous and jumpy like he had to when he saved his life...he seemed relaxed, calmer. It was not just angering Infinite- it was... hurting him, in a way.

Rookie nodded, then typed. _**'If you think I'm telling Sonic about anything personal in regards to you, I'm not. That is what you trusted me to keep and it's not something I'm allowed to talk about. That is up to you entirely, and only once you feel more comfortable around us. Okay?'**_

Infinite looked at the message and nodded in agreement. He was definitely still jealous, and while Rookie ran off to explain the situation to Sonic, Infinite stood there, still grappling with the newest emotion he had to cope with.

 _'Why am I so upset? He didn't do anything wrong; the blue annoyance was just... playing around. He's known him longer than me! So... why do I... feel like he's... hurting me somehow?'_ Infinite slowly followed after Sonic and Rookie once more, still musing on that odd thought. Rookie glanced behind him and noticed that expression Infinite made whenever something troubled him.

 _'I hope I didn't upset him. Maybe after their meeting, I'd better talk to him. He was actually...'_

Rookie soon drowned out Sonic's talking as he thought about what Infinite did not too long ago-defending him. He was truly angry; he truly thought Sonic was going to hurt him! But there was something else, something subtle in his eyes... what was it?

 _'He was actually defending me...but not as if I were a friend. It was more like I was one of his own. Infinite... what are you thinking about over there?'_

* * *

Sonic stopped after about twenty minutes of walking. Turning to Rookie, he held out his hand, asking the wolf kid to give over his phone. Infinite watched the entire exchange with a sharp, suspicious eye.

"You remember how to get here, right? I think Amy, Silver and Vector are there now. Knuckles should be there soon, and I've no clue where brooding pants and Rouge went." Infinite frowned- who on earth was he talking about? And why did it sound like Rookie was leaving?

Rookie nodded happily and gave Sonic a quick hug before he turned to Infinite. He held up his phone to let Infinite know what was going on.

 _ **'I'm going to visit some of the Resistance members for a little while. You and Sonic need to talk, alone. I'll see you later, okay?'**_

Before Infinite could argue, Rookie had dashed off, leaving him alone with Sonic. The blue blur was sitting on the edge of one of the more structurally sound buildings, waiting for a grumpy jackal to join him. "You know, I'm not gonna fight you, Infinite. Might as well come see the view, eh?"

Infinite felt his blood boil as he not so willingly walked over, but didn't sit down. His arms crossed, he simply said, "I have nothing to say to you."

"Heh, wasn't expecting you to." Sonic was leaning back on his hands, taking in the gentle breeze and the beautiful sunset that was starting. "But... Rookie wasn't lying to me, though. Something is different about you."

Infinite had a conflicting moment at that point- his heart was telling him to trust the new friend he'd come to have, but his brain REALLY wanted to beat the smirk off that got damn hedgehog! He didn't say anything, just kept his arms crossed and steeped in his anger.

Sonic knew Infinite was seething with rage, but there was one thing he'd warn Rookie about before he agreed to meet him- he was going to speak his mind, whether Infinite liked it or not.

"What do you know..." Infinite mumbled under his breath. Yes, he agreed to talk to the hedgehog, but he was beginning to wonder if that was a good idea. He still couldn't quite figure this strange being out, and apart from Rookie being buddies with him-

Rookie. Speaking of which, where had he gone to? Why did he think he had to do this alone? They were friends, right? _'Is this what friends do to one another? Make them uncomfortable? Why did he leave me here with HIM?_ '

Infinite and Sonic were silent as both were lost in their own heads. Finally, Sonic decided it was time to break the ice and get something started.

"Infinite."

"What?"

Sonic glanced up at the jackal over his shoulder. "You wanna tell me why you're still alive?" Short, sweet and definitely to the point... Infinite was left speechless at the question. Not even Rookie had asked him something so... straightforward before.

"I..." Sonic didn't really seemed bothered by Infinite's lack of an answer. He had a suspicion that he wasn't too sure himself, and only Rookie could really say that for sure.

"I mean, don't get me wrong. Lil Rookie did tell me he was actually on his way to visit me- surprise visit that it was. He said that he was on his way when he felt something telling him to go to that crazy doc's lab. Good thing he did, huh."

Infinite had not known that Rookie was on his way to do something else that day. He couldn't really remember too much of that day as it was. "I... I don't know what happened..." Infinite started talking. Sonic was, once again, a bit surprised- Infinite sounded... innocent. Soft-spoken and scared, even. _'So that's what Rookie meant when he said Infinite's "still trying to find his voice." He was angry just a minute ago... huh...'_

"I can't... really remember too much. The Phantom Ruby tore from my chest... it felt that I wasn't worthy of its power..." Infinite's fingertips gently touched his healing scar. Sonic's eyes were drawn to the roughly growing patch, his eyes a little wide at the thought- that ruby was _torn_ from him?

"It... ripped from your chest?" he muttered. "H-How... did you survive?"

"Yes. I... I tried to get out. I knew I was going to die- I was supposed to have died... but..." Infinite crossed his arms and trailed off, letting Sonic put together the rest. He still didn't know how he felt about him, and he cursed himself for sounding so weak around him.

Sonic slowly put two and two together. "I guess that's when Rookie came and saved you. Right?" Infinite didn't answer. Sonic tilted his head a little. "You know something... you remind me a lot of a certain brooding hedgehog counterpart of mine."

"Hedgehog? You're referring to Shadow the Hedgehog, am I right?" Infinite knew that look all too well- prior to getting that ruby fused with him, Shadow was the last person he swore to murder, especially after weakening his squad so bad they were easily picked off by Eggman.

He was a bit surprised when he didn't feel an ounce of anger coursing through him... but he knew that would change once he saw his smug face again.

"Yeah, Shads... he's a moody dude. Doesn't like to talk much, even about his own struggles with the good doc." Sonic shrugged. "Always been obsessed with proving I'm a 'fake'... yeesh, he's just... yeah, he's just Shadow."

Infinite stepped a little closer, his guard still up. "Are you always this annoying and happy?" he asked, a bit annoyed himself. Sonic looked at him and gave him a huge smile and a thumbs up.

"You know it!"

Now that Infinite could see Sonic more clearly, he finally noticed all the scars that riddled his body- most of his blue fur covered the ones on his back, but he still them on his legs, arms, and torso. The were multiple in number, and some even criss-crossed. He also sported a nasty gash on his left cheek. Infinite touched his right eye, recalling the very first battle scar he ever earned.

"What about you?" Infinite suddenly wondered. Sonic let his hand fall, wondering why Infinite's hand covered his eye.

"What about me?"

"Those scars... did I do that, too?" Sonic held out his arms to get a good look at them, then shook his head.

"No. These... these were because of Eggman." He lowered his arms and patted the ground next to him. Infinite was still very uncertain, but at the same time, he wanted to hear Sonic's story. That was the reason he came all the way out here, right?

Infinite sat down, allowing his legs to dangle over the edge of the failing structure. He took in the sight of the slowly rebuilding city, and the guilt he felt from earlier made a stronger return.

"I did all this... I caused so much damage..." Infinite sighed. "I don't know why Rookie chose to save me... he should have let me die, at least... for the sake of them..."

Sonic listened to what the jackal was sadly mumbling to himself, and shook his head. "Infinite, what good would it have done?"

"Huh?"

Sonic was staring at the sky, a thoughtful smile on his face. "If Rookie had chosen to let you die in that lab, what good would it have done? I mean, sure you're gone, but... Eggman was the real villain behind ALL of this, and he's still alive, somewhere."

Infinite looked down at the people walking, talking, living life like nothing had happened over eight months ago. "These people... they didn't deserve to be caught in this war. I don't... I don't understand why I... I was given that ruby..."

"That Phantom Ruby reacts with someone who only had purely evil intentions in their heart." Shocked, Infinite looked at Sonic, about to ask a series of questions. Sonic laughed; of course, something had told him Infinite wasn't given the manual when Eggman fused the gem with him.

"Tails did some research on it while I was captive. Apparently, the main reason the Ruby fused was because the one Eggman originally had became tainted when you and him touched it at some point." Infinite pondered on that new piece of information, something the doctor conviently forgot to mention. _'I did touch the ruby when the Jackal Squad and I raided his lab...'_

"Infinite, why would you want to live in a world all alone?" Sonic suddenly brought up. Again, Infinite was left speechless, and now felt a bit exposed- where was the information coming from? He hadn't told Rookie, so there was no way he got it from him!

"Again, Eggman was the one who gave me these scars. I was trapped in his dungeon, prison, whatever for six months." He looked out at the city again. "He gave out a LOT of information during my stay, and... one of it... was that you wanted to destroy this world so you could be the only one left. But I don't get why."

"Six... months?" Infinite was trying to put together a timeline, figuring out what he was doing while under the ruby's power, and now he was answering a really personal question. _'Why should I be telling him anything?! I owe him nothing! But... I...'_

"I just wanted to be alone, okay?" Infinite drew his legs up and rested his chin on his arms. "I was always alone... why should I have to change that now..."

"Was that you, or was that the ruby?"

"I don't know! I don't know, okay?!" Infinite snapped. Sonic was unfazed, and waited for Infinite to compose himself.

"I don't... I don't know what was me and what was that damn ruby, I... I still don't know what I wanted when I had that power. I'm just... I'm really confused..." Infinite lifted his head just a little, but didn't look in Sonic's direction.

"I haven't been able to figure that out. And then when Rookie saved me... it got... worse." The cool air caressing Infinite's mane and face didn't help the swirling ball of confusion he was feeling inside of him. _'I thought this was supposed to be about him! Why do I keep talking to him as if he's Rookie? He's not... my friend... is he?'_

"Worse? Like angry one minute, sad the next, confused about everything you're doing? Or whether or not you were making the right choice?"

Infinite's mouth dropped open as he listened to Sonic's description of him perfectly-but he just said all that stuff about Rookie, too? "W-Wait, how-?"

"Lil Rookie was just like you. He told you about his scar and why he uses that phone?" Infinite nodded.

"Well, after all... that happened, Rookie... he was angry. I mean, he was punching things, punching people, just... angry. But it took the most angry person on our team to finally get through to him and make him understand that what he'd been feeling was normal. I mean... what is someone who lost everything supposed to feel, I guess."

Infinite couldn't believe it. That meant... everything Rookie had been telling him, about forgiving him and not being angry... all of it was true. He had almost a year's time to figure things out, and had a good support team, too.

"But... I..." Infinite was staring to realize that it wasn't confusion he was feeling- it was confliction. Part of him really, REALLY felt that Sonic could be trusted- he knew Rookie better than him, and if Rookie felt comfortable leaving him here with him, then Sonic couldn't be all that bad.

But the other part still saw Sonic as his mortal enemy, even if he wasn't certain why- without the Phantom Ruby, his thoughts were clear. Sonic still couldn't be trusted, though, but... why?

"Was... Rookie really... that mad?" Infinite asked- if he was being honest, he didn't want to hear how badly he ruined his new friend's life. He caused all that anger and pain to him, but... somehow, knowing what he had done, Infinite felt he could be more open with Rookie- he didn't understand any of it, but the thought made sense to him.

Sonic nodded and stretched. "Mad? Ohhhhh, Lil Rookie was RAGING!" he laughed as if he were telling a joke. Infinite ignored that and listened to what he was saying."He wanted to kill you, take revenge for what you did to him and his family, but... when he ran into you during a mission, I think... I think all that went out the window."

Infinite frowned- he'd fought Rookie before? _'That must have been when I was under the control of that ruby- why the hell can't I remember that?! All I remember... was... silting his throat and...'_

"Rookie told me about that fight." Sonic finished stretching his arms and let them fall with a sigh, thankfully snapping Infinite out of his thoughts. "He was badly hurt... and after being out cold for a few days, he came around and started talking to me and Knuckles- the angry guy I mentioned earlier."

"What... did he say?" he asked softly. Inside, Infinite's thoughts were going in the opposite direction, and he berated himself for daring to ask such a thing: _'I don't want to know... I don't want to know... I don't-'_

"Well, it wasn't anything... bad." Sonic tried to find a better way to word what had happened that day- without coming out as blunt. "Rookie kinda realized how outclassed he was fighting you. But he also said something else, something I could never forget. He said... that he didn't think you were as evil as you looked that day."

Sonic almost laughed at the expression on the jackal's face. "Yeah, we all agreed with you- he was crazy! But he was very... adamant about that. He knew what you had done, and yes, for a long time, he wanted you to suffer and pay for what you had done to his family, and to him. I don't know what you did or said to him that day, but... Rookie changed."

Infinite was stunned. _'So that's what made him save my life... he didn't see me as an evil being. Even after all I've done to him, all I've taken away... he always... thought I was good...?'_

"Hey, Infinite. Question." At that, Infinite's ears slightly pressed against his head- he didn't like that serious tone Sonic took on, and began to close himself off, just in case.

"Do you regret what you did? Or what you can remember of what you did?"

Infinite didn't answer right away. His eyes began to sting as the few clear memories of what he was under the ruby's control- of his past hunting life as Infinite the Mercenary- ran though his mind. _'All that blood... all the pain, the death... I caused so many people to die, and I didn't even care what I'd done! Now that it's over... I don't know what to think anymore.'_

"I... I think... I do..." Infinite was very uncertain of his answer. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before he continued.

"I think I realized what I have done, and I know... I can never make people forget. I can't even forget... it... keeps haunting me, especially at night... it's... hard..." Sonic nodded but didn't speak. He knew there was more that the jackal needed to get out of his system.

"I don't... I can't remember everything I did after that ruby fused with me. Honesty, all I really managed to remember... was how much pain I was in during that entire process. How that... that damn doctor constantly made a fool out of me, and left me to die..."

Infinite looked down at his hands, noticing they were shaking, and balled them tight to keep it under control. "Even before that, with my squad... I've hurt a lot of people. I ruined a lot of lives, including my team. They... they... died. All because of me and my actions..."

 _'He's not lying. I can hear it in his voice.'_ Sonic thought to himself as he watched Infinite struggle to keep his composure. _'He must have had this on him for a while now, probably before the war. Makes me wonder what he was like before his team, before the war... just before things got so tough for him.'_

"Sonic." The blue blur snapped out of his thoughts.

"What happened to you... was I responsible for that, too?" Infinite wasn't looking at him again, choosing instead to stare at the sky as the sun began to set.

"These babies... no. This wasn't entirely on you."

"... what do you mean?"

Sonic felt his bottom starting to grow numb, so he stood up to stretch his legs. "You did find me, and you actually did fight me, but Eggman's fake goons were the ones who knocked me out and tortured me for six months." He sighed as he took in the fresh breeze.

"I can't blame you for much. I mean, yeah, we fought. Twice. The second time... that's why the ruby dragged you off and I never saw you again. Didn't think you were alive. But all these... not on you."

"Then..." Infinite's voice cracked and he made no effort to hide it. He wiped his tears away, refusing to let that blue hedgehog see them. He was beginning to feel confused all over again. "Then why does it feel... like it's my fault...?" he almost whispered.

"Infinite... I'm telling you because for a long time, most of my friends believed it was. But I know now that it wasn't. You were just another pawn Eggman hurt until you were nothing." He glanced down at Infinite before kneeling next to him.

"If Lil Rookie believed you had some good in you, then I do, too. I don't really think you're a bad person. I think... you were just dealt a REALLY crappy hand in life, you know?"

Infinite didn't know what else to say. He needed to sort all the conflicting emotions out, but without Rookie near him, he was deathly scared of walking back to their living place on his own. He STILL didn't know how to feel entirely about Sonic, but he wasn't angry and he didn't seem like the type to want to kill him as revenge.

"Your friends... do they hate me?" Infinite really needed to know. Sonic nodded his head and shrugged.

"I think the real ones who hate you... are Tails and Amy. Tails, he... he went though a LOT of things after what happened to me. Kid's kinda like my brother, so... when Eggman did what he did, I knew he would be angry. But he wasn't just that- he was RAGING mad. Scared me a little, seeing him like that."

Infinite didn't expect a good answer, but hearing it blunt like that stung a little. _'Could they actually forgive me? I... I can't be mad if they couldn't, but...'_

Deciding he'd waited long enough, Infinite asked a question that was on his mind for a good while now. "Rookie... did he go back? To them?"

Sonic nodded and looked back at the way they'd come, wondering what was keeping Rookie. "Yeah. I told him to do me a favor and bring a few friends of mine to talk to you, too. They need to see and hear you- I think they would understand more."

Infinite felt his chest tighten as he tried to ask why Sonic would do such a thing. He barely managed to figure HIM out, and now he wanted to bring people he KNEW hated him?! _'No... no, no, oh god... I can't do this... not without Rookie... I can't do this!'_

Sonic could hear Infinite's breathing picking up, and he placed a hand on his shoulder to anchor him before he passed out and fell forward. "Hey! Infinite, breathe! It's okay, man! It's going to be okay!"

Infinite struggled to control his panic attack, but the more he thought about those people Sonic mentioned coming to 'talk' with him, the more it scared him. He knew at least one- Tails. He couldn't forget the young twin tailed fox hiding behind boulders and watching his best friend get beaten to a bloody pulp that fateful day. Amy, he wasn't too sure of, but she didn't sound like a happy type herself.

 _'Why am I panicking like this? Dammit, Rookie's going to come back, he's probably going to be right there! I'm 22 years old and I'm acting like an infant! I need to stop acting so weak and breathe like he said!'_

Infinite felt himself falling backward- embarrassingly into Sonic's arms- as he continued to suffer his panic attack. Sonic sounded garbled, everything was blurring and tilting the wrong ways.

 _'Why... is this so hard for me...'_

* * *

When Infinite opened his eyes, the first thing he realized was that it was dark outside. He was laying face up, so he could see the glimmer of stars across the clear night sky.

"It's night... how long was I out..." he asked himself, throwing an arm over his eyes. He liked this- the air felt wonderful across his skin and mane, and for once, he didn't have to question every little thing. It didn't stop him from thinking about everything that happened, though, but at least he had some much needed space for himself.

"What am I doing...?" He sighed, but didn't move from his spot. "I agreed to this. I told Rookie I could handle this... but... I feel like I can't do anything."

Infinite let his arm fall to his side and found himself staring at the stars. "They look beautiful. I wonder... did I ever see them before all this happened? Before I was... a killer..."

His face scrunched as he felt the urge to cry creeping up on him. Scrubbing the tears away, he took a shaky breath in and let it out. It didn't ease that urge to cry, but it made him a little calmer. ' _Maybe this is where I learn to be strong... maybe I'm going though this because I have to. I was weak because I depended on the ruby's power to make me stronger. But what strength did I ever get from that wretched thing...'_

Infinite noticed that his hand, whether it was intentional or when he was lost in thought, kept touching his injury a lot more than normal. It was healing well, but there was a noticeably large scab right under his chin where black fur definitely should have been. Luckily some of the white chest fur covered the upper half of the scab, only showing the lower, less... nasty looking part of his healing wound.

 _'I was used and have a scar to forever remind me... how stupid I was. Sonic the Hedgehog... he has them, too. And Rookie. Maybe... maybe that's what he meant. Everyone who was dragged into this war... they're just like me. They're scarred, and they can't forget. But... I can only remember parts of what I was when I was under the control of the Ruby. Why is that?'_

Infinite watched the stars for a long while, not realizing that Sonic not only left, but that he and Rookie were walking up the path leading to him, along with Tails, Amy and Knuckles in tow. He didn't really miss him either way.

 _'I wonder how much they hate me. If they will try and kill me. It wouldn't take much... all they would have to do is push me. But... I get the feeling Rookie would never allow it to happen. He really thinks I can do this... I just wish I felt as confident as he was.'_

Tails was shaking with anger- after what Rookie told him, it took both him and Sonic to hold the young kitsune back before he charged ahead and tried to fight Infinite.

Amy had been quiet the entire walk, and per usual, walking close to Sonic. She held her hand behind her back in case she would need to call her Piko Piko Hammer to smash Infinite's head in... which she wanted to do, anyways.

Knuckles was quiet as well, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Every so often, he would crack his hands- he was ready for a fight with Infinite, ruby or not.

Rookie and Sonic shared a worried glance as they approached the meeting spot. They knew that out of the team, these three were the angriest and hated everything Infinite stood for. Sonic agreed that was true, but in order for Infinite to finally put the past behind him, he needed to make amends. The blue hero felt they were a good place to start, although Rookie wasn't as confident.

 _'I don't know how Infinite is going to react... he didn't sound like he took to Sonic too well as it was, but Amy and Tails downright hate his guts! Knuckles... he might fight him, but at least I was able to get him to understand. Infinite isn't the same as the masked killer the ruby made him become.'_

Rookie saw Infinite's form laying on the ground as they neared the clearing, and bit at his lip worriedly. _'He was angry, yes. Shadow may of stopped him, even taken out his team, but that ruby is what took his anger and turned it into pure, evil power. It knew that Infinite was a walking target waiting to blow- even as Eggman made prototypes to try and replicate its power, Infinite was still a strong source... all because of what happened to him in his life.'_

Infinite sat up, hearing footsteps behind him, the slowly stood to his feet. He turned around, and upon seeing Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles and Rookie standing about a yard's length away, took a half step back.

 _'Without the Phantom Ruby... I'm weak. I relied on it for power that was never mine, and now...'_

Rookie held his arm out to the others, asking them to wait as he went to talk to Infinite. Tails was still angry, but stayed back, as did Amy.

Infinite looked between the group and Rookie as the wolf approached him, his phone held out for him to read. _**'I'm sorry I took so long. I had to really explain myself to these guys- they don't know why I didn't leave you back there.'**_

The jackal shrugged and crossed his arms, but to Rookie, he didn't seem upset or angry. He seemed like he wanted to defend himself before anything could happen. "I can't be surprised... I've done a lot..." he said softly before he realized what Rookie first texted.

"It's okay. For taking so long. I... I talked to him. Sonic." he told him. Rookie seemed proud and nodded his head, wanting to know how things went. Infinite smiled a little.

"I... I still don't know what to make of him, but... you... were right." Infinite glanced at the foursome still standing a good yard's length away.

"He... made me realize a few things about myself. Things I hadn't really thought about until tonight. And... he saw me having a panic attack." Rookie tilted his head in question. "I'll explain it later. But..."

There was no more stalling now. He needed to atone for what he had done, and he needed to do it now. Uncrossing his arms, Infinite requested that Rookie tell them to come closer so they could talk. Rookie looked worried, and quickly typed something on the phone.

 _ **'Infinite... please. Be honest with me. Do you think you can really do this?'**_

"Honestly?" Infinite shook his head. "I don't know... I don't... think I can change anything. But I... I said I would try."

He straightened himself and looked at the group, pushing as much doubt and nervousness as he could to the back of his mind. If he were actually being honest, he was scared out of his mind. Except for Sonic, any one of them could easily wipe him out and he refused to drag Rookie through this.

But he said he would try and make amends. He wanted to understand. He needed this more than anything.

Together, Infinite and Rookie walked back to the group. Once they were close, Rookie stood back to allow Infinite to talk without interference. Sonic looked at his closest friends.

"Tails... listen to me. I know you're angry at Infinite because of what he's done. But Rookie really wasn't lying to any of us. Infinite isn't the same being that fought in the war. He's not under the ruby's control." Sonic explained, looking at Infinite with a small smile. "He's changed. I promise."

Tails didn't believe any of it. "No... that power is still very much alive and there..." he said angrily, his little hands balled into tight fists. Infinite just stood there, unsure of what he was supposed to say.

"The only reason the Phantom Ruby took you over is because you ARE evil! You hurt Sonic!" He ran towards Infinite, yelling at the top of his lungs as he reared his tiny fist back. Infinite barely had time to react before he felt a blow across his face.

He staggered back a few steps, his hand instinctively covering his face. His cheek swelled, but no blood. Tails wasn't done yet, though. He kept charging after him and hitting him as hard as his eight year old hands could manage.

Knuckles, Amy and Sonic stood by but didn't do or say anything. Rookie stepped forward, wanting Tails to stop hitting him, but Sonic held his hand out to him and shook his head.

"Lil Rookie... let him do this. Infinite can defend himself."

Tails kept hitting Infinite- three times in his chest, a few times on his arms, and twice on the same spot on his face. Infinite didn't have to do much to block his attacking, but he didn't try and retaliate, either.

 _'He's angry at me. He has every right to hit me. I hurt them... I did all this, and... I don't know what to say...'_

Finally, Tails collapsed to the ground, panting as he tried to regain his strength. Tears were running down his face. "Why... why did you do all this..." he asked though his tears. He looked up at Infinite, waiting for an answer.

"Tell me that, Infinite. Why did you do this? Why did you hurt Sonic and Rookie? Why?"

Infinite didn't know what to say. He honestly never gave the question thought- mostly because he knew what he wanted before the war began.

But he had to say something to answer him. Even if he wasn't really sure if Tails would believe a single word he spoke. "I... I don't... really know anymore..." he answered quietly. He couldn't quite look Tails in the face, so he focused on the ground behind him.

"Before... I wanted this planet to be destroyed. I wanted to be alone... I wanted that. After Sonic defeated me, I was... unsure. Of a lot."

Amy stepped closer, both hands now visible in front of her. "You wanted millions of people dead so you could wallow in your own self pity? What kind of monster does that?"

"I'm not a monster!" Everyone fell silent. Infinite closed his eyes in thought.

"I'm not... a monster. I don't... I never wanted this to happen... I didn't... realize what I had done..." he admitted. "I wanted to be alone, but... this..."

Tails was a bit thrown off by the answer he'd just heard. If Infinite wasn't truly evil, that why was the Phantom Ruby able to use him for its own gain? Why didn't Infinite fight the ruby's power?

Rookie finally stepped forward and placed a hand on Infinite's shoulder, showing him the phone. _**'Infinite. You can stop whenever you want. You don't have to do this right now.'**_

Infinite felt... touched. That was the only way he could describe what he was feeling. Rookie had been so worried about him, consistently, ever since the day he saved his life. He lost so much-his family, his home, his voice... but he still cared about Infinite and it showed. That was what made him smile for the very first time that night in the kitchen, he realized.

 _'Rookie. I finally, finally think I got it. Thank you. You're... you're my friend, and I know that now. I think I'm beginning to understand. But I have to finish this. I have to make this right.'_

Shaking his head at Rookie and gently lowering his phone, Infinite faced Sonic and the others. Now he felt strong enough that he could say what he needed to say.

"I can never apologize for all the pain I've caused." he said, voice soft but steady. "I have a lot to atone for, and I don't expect forgiveness from any of you. It takes time to reach that. I understand that much now. Instead... I just ask for a chance to try and make things right. For everything I caused. For everyone who was hurt or killed because of me..."

Infinite felt a lot better after he finished, and Rookie's hand on his shoulder gave him the strength he had so desperately needed. "Sonic... I know that I did not give you those marks. But just like me... you can never forget what that damn doctor did. If he is still alive out there, if he figured out a way to harness the ruby's power... I want to fight by your side. By your friends' side.'

Amy and Tails looked at one another, doubt clear as day on their face. Knuckles, who'd been quiet up until now, walked up to Infinite and stood face to face with him.

"Look, you and Sonic... you're not the only ones the round fatman played for fools. He played me, too. And... I can't say I hate you, even after all the destruction you've caused. Angry, hell yeah. But I don't think I hate you." Knuckled held out his hand.

"If you really want to prove you are going to be on our side, you have to earn ALL of our team's trust. It's not going to be easy, especially since Tails and Amy still don't know how to feel about you. But... Sonic trusts you. And oddly enough... he's usually right. Rookie sees you as a friend. If they can trust you... I'm willing to try, too."

Infinite stared at Knuckles for a moment before his hand slowly reached out to shake Knuckles' hand. "I... I don't know how to feel about any of you, either. But... I told that child behind me I would try. I will not go back on my word."

Knuckles smirked and the two broke contact. "Good. Because if you do... there's going to be hell to pay."

 _'Somehow... I feel like I've been there my entire life. But I don't know if that will be as bad as what he will do. What Rookie would do.'_ Infinite thought as he watched Knuckles walk away. Amy was still looking at him with a doubtful eye. Tails, who had finally gotten back to his feet, approached Infinite next.

"I... I'm sorry. For punching you like that." he apologized, looking down at his shoes. Infinite gingerly touched his swollen cheek- of all the punches Tails threw, the ones to his face hurt the worst- then slowly extended his hand for another handshake. Tails looked at the hand, then at the face. Infinite... didn't look angry one bit.

"I... think I had it coming for a long time now." Infinite said, a tiny smile on his face. "I deserved it, for hurting you like I did."

Tails, once again, did not expect that response. He slowly gripped Infinite's hand and gave it a light shake before he stepped back, wondering what the heck just happened. Sonic grinned and gave Infinite a thumbs up before he turned around and without a word, lead the others back to the city.

Infinite and Rookie watched them walk away before Rookie began typing on his phone. _**'You did it... Infinite, you actually did it! How... do you feel?'**_

"... I don't... really know." Infinite answered. Tails was the only one who seemed able to show how angry he was at him- the next thing Infinite knew, he was shaking the kid's hand. Amy was still VERY doubtful, which was clear as day on her face. Knuckles gave him the benefit of the doubt, to put it simply.

Infinite was overwhelmed.

"I didn't think... they would listen to me. Let alone... try and forgive me." Rookie smiled and typed, _**'I know. It was hard for me to talk to Tails especially. He almost didn't come out here, but I think Sonic got through to him.**_

 _ **Did talking with him help?'**_

"A... a little. I had a lot to think about, and I still have so many things I ask myself." Infinite looked at the dark sky. "I know I have a long way to go. I... I know that they will need time. I do, too. But I... I think... I can do this."

Infinite looked at Rookie and extended his hand to him, asking for his phone. Confused, Rookie handed it over to him. Infinite was not as quick as Rookie, but the jackal managed to type something.

 _ **'Thank you, Rookie. For being my friend. For saving my life... and showing me that I still have something to live for.'**_

Rookie felt tears coming to his eyes. Infinite looked a bit awkward as he returned the phone, but the wolf didn't care. He threw his arms around Infinite and hugged him tight. Infinite was still very new to the close touch concept that was hugging, but he lifted one arm to at least try and humor Rookie.

"Still not used to... this." Rookie pulled back, laughing at the light blush that formed across Infinite's cheeks.

 _ **'Ready to head back to the house? It's a bit chilly out.'**_ Infinite nodded, and the pair began walking the path back to the threshold of the city. As they walked, Rookie took the time to type out an idea he'd had since almost a month and a half ago.

 _ **'Tomorrow... I want us both to start training with Sonic and the others. It can help build trust between you guys and get us both into the swing of fighting again. What do you say?'**_

"... alright." Infinite agreed. Granted, he was very nervous about tomorrow, but still looking forward to his new future just the same. _'Its so strange. I never thought anything good would come from me being alive, and yet... Rookie proved me wrong. There is something for me- something I finally have true control over. It's... definitely something I'm not really used to.'_

"...Rookie."

The young wolf looked over his shoulder at the sound of his name. Infinite had stopped and was looking at the second gate, the one that lead to his village. The village looked warm and inviting to those who didn't know Infinite's life- but that was about to change.

"I need to show you something tomorrow before we go to train. It's... about my past. I think... you need to know." Rookie followed his gaze, and once he put two and two together, typed out a response.

 _ **'Infinite... you don't have to do this. You know that.'**_

Infinite was smiling as he turned away from that chapter of his life. "I know I don't." he said softly. "But I want to. You know only what I've wanted you to know, so... I think you should see it for yourself."

 _'Infinite... he's finally opening up more. I've earned his trust.'_ Rookie thought proudly to himself. _'Thank you, Infinite.'_

Rookie gave Infinite a thumbs up, interested to see where he was born and what made his childhood so traumatizing for him. Most of all, he felt even happier than Infinite was willing to open up to him more, and was a bit excited to see where his future would take him.

 _'Thank you, Infinite. For finally... letting me in.'_

As for Infinite, he felt a lot of emotions, none of which he would sort out until tomorrow. But the one thing he was thankful he could honestly feel... was happy. The Phantom Ruby would be a distant memory one day, and he would be even happier when he made Dr. Eggman pay.

For now, he would take each day as it came. He had a long road ahead of him, and earning the trust of others would take a lot of work- something he was all too familiar with as he watched Rookie walk ahead.

 _'There's a lot I know I need to do. They gave me a second chance, just like Rookie did. And I guess... I gave myself a chance, too. I let someone in after he made a huge step to save my life. I finally allowed someone else to be a friend.'_

He took one last look at his old village- at the past he never truly left behind, before following after Rookie again. _'This time, the future is mine to control. I have the power to truly make this right- no stupid ruby can control me or use my anger against me ever again! Eggman will pay for what he did to me, and those who suffered because of me.'_

Infinite walked tall and proud next to Rookie, no longer weighed down by doubt or fear. He knew what he could do to make things better, and he would do everything he can to make himself, his mother and his squad proud of him. _'Everyone... please. Watch me become the strong jackal you all knew I could be. Watch me prove... I'm no longer weak.'_

The wolf smiled at the change he saw in Infinite, and knew that he would be able to carve a happy life for himself after all. Of course, he would remain by his side- it's what any good friend would do.

 _'You finally found your way, Infinite the Jackal. You can finally live life as you want. You were never weak, just heavily misguided. I think now... you can truly learn what having hope is like. And no matter what... I hope you can finally find the peace you deserve.'_

 **END**

* * *

 **And complete!** **I had a lot of fun writing this project, and my gosh! I've never written such a long chapter in ANY multichapter fanfic of mine! Also didn't like the ending too much, but... the chapter itself wasn't too bad.**

 **I really hope you all enjoyed the final chapter and the story in general, and thank you so much for reading and following along! As always, please let me know what you think!**

 **Until next time!**


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